Preview

Tone Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
144 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Tone Of Letter From Birmingham Jail
Violent racist terror against African Americans was at its peak when Dr. King was arrested in 1963. In the open letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference makes an effort to convince his fellow white clergymen that it is time to take immediate actions towards injustice and the increase violence among the people. By appealing to ethos, logos, and pathos, Dr. King convinces his audiences of the unfairness of the law by which is effectively demonstrated by his legalistic and persuasive tone.
In the written document, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. King recognizes the injustice his fellow African Americans and himself have been suffering over the years. He was


You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Martin Luther Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is an influential letter directed at the clergymen, where he explains his, and his followers work and ideas. Throughout his letter he addresses one of the works that his and his followers partake in, direct action. In paragraph 8 and 9 King states how the tension created by their direct action forces people to negotiate. In paragraph 8 King compares negotiation and direct action, and the purpose of direct action. King states how direct action such as sit-ins and marches will eventually lead to negotiation.…

    • 221 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Martin Luther King, Jr., in his famous Letter from the Birmingham Jail, responds forcefully yet politely to a public statement made by eight Alabama clergymen in 1963. He defends his position as an African American and strongly defends racial equality, referencing countless sources and utilizing several literary devices. Most significantly, King uses frequent Biblical allusions and metaphors, not only to relate to the Clergymen and the people of Alabama, but also to display his passion for equality. For instance, when he speaks of just and unjust laws, he references the reasoning of Saint Thomas Aquinas, "To put in the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any laws that degrades human personality is unjust"(King 180). King cites the book of Daniel when he discusses Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the disobedience of a law for higher moral principle. King also relates himself to the Apostle Paul and his thriving effort to assist the men and women who call for his…

    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr., born on January 15, 1929, fought for the injustices of his brothers and sisters throughout his life. While being an active activist, Martin Luther King was imprisoned to Birmingham jail due to his participation in a nonviolent demonstration against segregation and discrimination in Alabama. During his sentence, he wrote a letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” to counter the criticisms of his actions from the clergymen by claiming that “An unjust law is no law at all”(par. 12), “Injustice everywhere is a threat to justice…

    • 1359 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. became an influential voice of the African American population due to his non-violent, peace driven protests against inequality. In the midst of a peaceful demonstration leaders deemed King a threat, placing him behind bars for parading without a permit. King defends himself against four clergymen portraying the peaceful demonstrations a burden to the public. King writes, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” conveying corrupted leadership in America effecting African Americans. His writing bursts with examples of ethos, pathos, and logos ensuring nation-wide attention to the oppression taking place.…

    • 1198 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The general argument made by King in his letter titled “ Letter from Birmingham Jail” is that in order for Blacks to get their rights they must use non-violent resistance. More specifically, King argues that they must demand that they get their rights and he states that with time, the non-violent resistance will make situations which will force whites to negotiate. There are two distinct sides to this very complicated issue, and while King argues that non-violent resistance is the key to acquiring their rights, one can see that the counter-argument that violence can be used as a tactic to acquire their rights may also be valid under the following circumstances such as the commence of the Zapatista movement, the American Revolution, and the…

    • 356 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    1. Identify a list of biblical allusions King uses in this essay. Explain how these allusions to biblical figures and events appeal to both ethos and pathos.…

    • 304 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The topic sentence in the first paragraph, "Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application", states a clear topic. It shows that the following paragraph will discuss the fact that while a law can appear to be just on its face, in its application, it really serves no justice at all. In the second paragraph the writer states that he does not advocate evading or defying the law by using the topic sentence, "In no sense do I advocate defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist." A clear topic is formed in the third paragraph as well. The writer uses the sentence, "Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience." This shows that he will be discussing a bit about the history of civil disobedience.…

    • 452 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail was written from the cell of the Birmingham jail in the margins of a newspaper; to address the criticisms of eight Alabama Clergyman. King uses pathos, logos, and ethos to appeal to his readers. In addition, to his appeals King uses several persuasive strategies in his response to the attacks on him for his involvement in organizing a non-violent protest to support the civil rights movement. The purpose of this essay is to appeal to readers the injustices of segregation and the unjust laws. King’s most effective strategy in his letter is the use of an emotional (pathos) appeal to persuade his readers to feel something in regards to racial discrimination, and the unjust laws.…

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The struggle for civil rights and civil liberty by African American in the United States of America brought about some of the darkest days in American history. Till this day, majority of Americans regardless of race or color look back at that period with regret. Dr Martin Luther King, a prominent leader in the civil rights movement was persecuted by his oppressors but he persevered relentlessly in the fight for equal rights for African Americans mainly because we were fighting for a just cause. The letter from Birmingham Jail is a response by Dr King to statements by eight Alabama Clergymen denouncing the use of street protests by Dr King’s organization in the fight for civil liberty. Critics of Dr King’s philosophy on civil disobedience argue that the actions of his organization…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” after an unjust proposal made by eight white clergymen. Their claims were to be that no Negro “outsider” should be allowed to establish or lead any protest and should leave them to their local neighborhoods. King replied directly to the clergymen, but used religious ties to also have his voice heard in the public. In his counter argument, King strategically used logical evidence, emotional aspects and good motives to present his perspective to the clergymen.…

    • 938 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    S- To state the reason Martin Luther King Jr. is in Birmingham for attempting to change segregation as social justice and his use of civil disobedience as an instrument of freedom.…

    • 1271 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    The African-American Civil Rights Movement targeted towards outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans, and predominantly focused on creating equality among all individuals. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. particularly was one of the prominent figures of the movement. Due to the presence of injustice in Birmingham, Alabama, King planned a non-violent protest against racial segregation practiced by the city 's government and downtown retailers. Unfortunately, his plans did not succeed and King was arrested. In response to the arrest, eight clergymen of the White Church of the South criticized Dr. King 's work and accused him for breaking the law. While incarcerated…

    • 1215 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    My Husband’s great uncle had the privileged to protest and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr many times and I am always willing to read anything that has to do with this great man. So after reading this well written letter that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, I was very moved by his words. I have to admit that I was not sure what the events where that prompted him to write this. So, of course, I had to do a little research so I can get a better idea of what it is that caused him to respond in such a way. I found that he was arrested during a peaceful protest in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had written the letter in response to the eight Alabama clergymen, whom had previously made a statement titled “A Call for Unity”…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This letter is very powerful. He makes very good points about our rights. One part that stood out to me was when he spoke on just and unjust laws. He talked a lot about morality and what is really morally right and wrong pertaining to our laws. When he was speaking about unjust laws, I tried to imagine living in such a time like that. Seeing amusement parks on TV but not being able to go, being abused and taunted at school it all seems so farfetched yet it was only fifty years ago. Another one of his main points that stood out to me was when he was talking about negotiation. When I was reading it I was almost finishing his sentences. Of course negotiation is the right path but when the community…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the letter that Martin Luther King writes to the clergymen from the Birmingham Jail, he begins by calling them “men of genuine good will,” and claims that he knows their “criticisms are sincerely set forth.” Dr. King tries to remain polite but an undertone of distrust is also apparent in his letter. By mentioning that he is “confined” in jail, and by calling the black community “victims of broken promises” and “injustices,” Dr. King evokes pity and sadness from the reader. By relating to the clergymen’s…

    • 1585 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays