In MLK’s “Letter From A Birmingham Jail”, he utilizes figurative language to emphasize that politicians only focus was to keep the status quo. In this time in history, the fight for equal rights for blacks was a major topic, especially in the south. The slow changes happening through the courts also left the black community frustrated.…
King understands that he will set the basis not only for the rest of his letter but also will be taking a stand against all those who oppose and oppress his ideals, starting first with one of the strongest societal influences, religion. Thus, he builds his ethos by giving an extensive history of his affiliations with Birmingham and clergical offices and even a hint of what could seem to be deemed as “religious success” through his…
Humans are stubborn creatures, and take comfort in familiarity. Any threat to such comfort causes an outrage amongst the people. Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights movement threatened the status-quo, causing fear of racial equality. While his fellow clergymen should support human welfare, they choose to criticize King. In the Birmingham city jail letter, King explained his intentions to the clergy by delicately balancing both pathos and logos.…
King then continued to state that it was his “parading without a permit is what landed him in the jail and while it is completely fine to have such an “ordinance (“Letter from Birmingham Jail” 325). This reference to the constitution of the United States proves that we as a country did not have the right ways to handle a country or be fair to people in the way they wanted to be treated which in turn helps everyone to defend the equal rights movement even further. Not only that but king had continued to keep his writing perfectly flawless and through the flawless flow of his response to the Clergymen it also presents support for his knowledge due to keeping reasonable and developed grammar while inside a jail…
uses logos to defend and strengthen his argument against the clergymen. King establishes himself as being intelligent and well informed. He provides a great definition of “just and unjust laws”, “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is law. All segregation statues are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damage the personality” (King 153).…
Second, he applies ethos when explaining how there are two different laws: just laws and unjust laws. And lastly, he uses pathos when describing how they have waited over 350 years for their “God-given rights”, freedom. King uses logic and reasoning when proving to the clergyman that he is not an “outcast” causing or looking for trouble. In the first paragraph, Dr. King writes, “So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was…
In King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, King discusses a specific time in his life where African Americans were immorally slaved by the white people against Gods will. King’s approach was more direct, he wrote with emotion and through individual experiences, and captured the reader’s attention with specific examples of those in control and those that are weak. When using the principles of logic, we realize Letters from Birmingham Jail appeals to the reader’s emotion over and over but, emotions do not base the thoughts of logic. King’s approach has a lot of positive points along with great definitions, and does a wonderful job of using Gods idea of morals. But, the Nietzsche’s approach is more logical in comparison to the Dr. King’s view.…
From the letter that Martin Luther King Jr. wrote while in Birmingham Jail were very deep in there meaning and strength in regards to the segregation between the White American and the African American community in America. From these letters the most shocking realization is how although there was no laws regarding the demonstrations that were happening at the time the Black community were still being jailed and mistreated. The police were not treating them as if they were humans, they would set the police dogs on the men and let them sink their teeth into as if they were another animal. As for the young and elderly members of the African American community they would be slapped, kicked and beat.…
Throughout history, people have been treated differently based on what they choose, or are forced, to do in life. Whether it’s a career they enjoy or not, civilians need jobs in order to ensure safety and prosperity for their family. Unfortunately, it has been repeatedly shown that society and governments often set rules that restrict certain workers from acquiring as much as they need or deserve for the work they do. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is one of the many fought for a cause such as this. He was a leader of the Civil Rights movement who argued for total equality between all races in the United States, with an ultimate goal of eliminating segregation.…
In this next section Martin Luther King Jr. makes the argument that some laws meant to be broken; to do so he, defines just and unjust laws and also provides proper examples. King defines just law as “a man-made code that squares with the moral law;” it is a law that is equally upheld by both majority and minority groups (804). He goes on to define unjust laws as “any law that degrades human personality” (804). By accurately defining the difference between just and unjust laws, it sets up the tone for his argument on why it is acceptable to support some laws and disobey others. He wishes to convey the idea that just because a law is put in place by a government, that does not always deem them reasonable and without corruption.…
Martin Luther King’s letter from the Birmingham jail was a detailed letter explaining the motives and emotion behind the non-violent protests that took place in the South. As a result of these protests, a few white religious leaders criticized the actions of Dr. King and those encouraging the non-violent campaigns. The purpose of this letter was to respond to criticism made by these leaders. In the letter Dr. King expounded on four of the leaders’ comments. He responded to the comments regarding the untimeliness of the campaigns, the willingness of the campaigners to break laws, the allegation that the campaigns triggered violence, and the description of the campaigns as extreme.…
Analysis of Letter From a Birmingham Jail In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was asked to go to Birmingham to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program and was arrested as a result of this protest. A letter from several clergymen arrived to him during his incarceration criticizing his work as untimely and unwise. Martin Luther King responded to their critique in a “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and explained the necessity of his presence. He explains that his actions were thoroughly planned out.…
On the contrary, Malcolm X, filled with resent for the white American and the unjust treatment African Americans received, used an indignant tone. He bluntly called out the oppression of whites by saying, “have the racists in it [the American government] exposed and condemned as the criminals that they are” (Malcolm X 305). The discrimination exasperated Malcolm X and he impatiently awaited a drastic change in America. He used the enraged energy he felt to empower his fellow African Americans to stand up for their rights. Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr. appealed to emotions, but to those of the clergymen.…
From 1954 to 1968 the Civil Rights Movement took place in the United States. During this time, strategies and social movements occurred with the goal of eliminating racial segregation and discrimination laws. The movement consisted of many civil resistance campaigns. These operations were led by civil rights activists who wanted to help secure rights and equal opportunities for African Americans. One of the most visible and well known of such activists was Martin Luther King Jr.…