Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis Essay
David Glazer
AP Language and Composition
Mrs. Johnson
4/4/16
Literary Analysis of “Letter From Birmingham Jail”
The early 1960s was an era of change in the United States. African-Americans led a campaign, known as the civil rights movement, to gain the freedoms and rights they had been unjustly denied. One of the leaders of the movement was Martin Luther King Jr., a Georgian minister and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He traveled the nation to help lead nonviolent protests and fight discrimination. King's toughest challenge came in Birmingham, Alabama, where the movement was forcefully put down by the local government. In April 1963, King was arrested in Birmingham for leading the protests. While serving his sentence, he responded to a local letter published by Alabama clergymen in the newspaper. In his "Letter from Birmingham Jail," King explains what the civil rights movement stands for, what injustices African-Americans face, and why their actions are justified. To achieve his purpose, King eloquently organizes his letter, employs numerous rhetorical devices, and uses logos, pathos, and ethos. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is an incredible literary and historical work, …show more content…
The letter is a perfect indication for why King was chosen to lead the movement. The organizational structure, rhetorical devices, historical allusions, figurative language, and argumentative strategies were all eloquently and masterfully combined to serve King’s purpose. Through this, King elicits logos, ethos, and even pathos. Not only is his argument logical and worthy of respect, King displays genuine emotion about the plight that he and his people have faced. From the Magna Carta to the Declaration of Independence, few historical documents have captured the severity of unjust laws and necessity of freedom as well as “Letter from Birmingham Jail” has
AP Language and Composition
Mrs. Johnson
4/4/16
Literary Analysis of “Letter From Birmingham Jail”
The early 1960s was an era of change in the United States. African-Americans led a campaign, known as the civil rights movement, to gain the freedoms and rights they had been unjustly denied. One of the leaders of the movement was Martin Luther King Jr., a Georgian minister and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He traveled the nation to help lead nonviolent protests and fight discrimination. King's toughest challenge came in Birmingham, Alabama, where the movement was forcefully put down by the local government. In April 1963, King was arrested in Birmingham for leading the protests. While serving his sentence, he responded to a local letter published by Alabama clergymen in the newspaper. In his "Letter from Birmingham Jail," King explains what the civil rights movement stands for, what injustices African-Americans face, and why their actions are justified. To achieve his purpose, King eloquently organizes his letter, employs numerous rhetorical devices, and uses logos, pathos, and ethos. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is an incredible literary and historical work, …show more content…
The letter is a perfect indication for why King was chosen to lead the movement. The organizational structure, rhetorical devices, historical allusions, figurative language, and argumentative strategies were all eloquently and masterfully combined to serve King’s purpose. Through this, King elicits logos, ethos, and even pathos. Not only is his argument logical and worthy of respect, King displays genuine emotion about the plight that he and his people have faced. From the Magna Carta to the Declaration of Independence, few historical documents have captured the severity of unjust laws and necessity of freedom as well as “Letter from Birmingham Jail” has