Rhetorical Strategies In Letter From Birmingham Jail

Analysis of the Letter From a Birmingham Jail In Martin Luther King Junior’s Letter From a Birmingham Jail, he defends his actions from a group of white clergymen who criticized him and the Civil Rights Movement. He writes about injustices faced by the Black community and addresses multiple criticisms that the clergymen had towards King. Throughout the letter, King speaks directly to the clergymen and remains respectful while also conveying his issues with the injustices faced by the Black community. He uses multiple writing strategies to persuade his audience, which all act towards a similar goal. In the Letter From a Birmingham Jail, King caters to a wide audience and utilizes multiple strategies to convey an urgency for justice within the
. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly” is one specific instance of this, in which he states that the issues affecting the Black community affects those outside the community. Therefore, his other intended readers are those outside of the Black race. King uses metaphors in his writing to further explain why he advocates for the Civil Rights Movement. “There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over and men are no longer willing to be plunged into an abyss of injustice where they experience the bleakness of corroding despair.” This quote describes how the patience of the Black community is thinning, likening patience to liquid in a cup. King describes the injustices that he and others face as a “corroding despair”, describing the severity of the crimes committed against Black people. Likewise, the quote “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” illustrates King’s ideals of unity in the world as a whole. He uses this metaphor to show the struggles that the Black community is facing will affect everyone, regardless of their race. In addition to metaphors, King uses the strategy of inclusive language. Inclusive language allows the writer to establish a personal connection with the reader, including the reader into the conversation via the use of “we”, “you”, and “your” among