Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” responds to the eight clergymen’s letter condemning his nonviolent demonstrations, labeling him as an extremist. King’s usage of allusions, antithesis, and analogy to build his credibility and appeal to the emotions of his moderate audience justify his extremist actions and persuades the reader to act against injustices.
King addresses the clergymen’s accusation of King’s “extreme measures” by creating analogies to justify his actions. He concedes that he is an extremist; however, he argues that extremism itself isn’t intrinsically violent. King compares himself to biblical and historical figures, creating this connection that they are all extremists: “ I was… being categorized as an extremist… ‘Was not Jesus an extremist for love?’”(230). The word ‘extremist’ connotes violence, yet King proves otherwise. By connecting himself to well-respected, and morally righteous historical figures, King establishes that his ‘extremist measures’ are like theirs – and that his intentions are also for the pursuit of justice. By painting the image of historical heroes as extremists, he disproves that violence defines extremism; rather, he demonstrates that extreme moral actions should be encouraged.
Through the usage of biblical allusions, …show more content…
King wrote his letter in part to convince his audience that only action can defeat injustice whereas passivity only supports that broken system. By being a vocal extremist for justice, he convinced many to join his crusade, leading to our desegregated world. His use of rhetoric demonstrates to us that language can be used to create change in the world for the betterment of society. Much like how Edmundson stated that literature can help us create significant life, King shows us that language can help us change
King addresses the clergymen’s accusation of King’s “extreme measures” by creating analogies to justify his actions. He concedes that he is an extremist; however, he argues that extremism itself isn’t intrinsically violent. King compares himself to biblical and historical figures, creating this connection that they are all extremists: “ I was… being categorized as an extremist… ‘Was not Jesus an extremist for love?’”(230). The word ‘extremist’ connotes violence, yet King proves otherwise. By connecting himself to well-respected, and morally righteous historical figures, King establishes that his ‘extremist measures’ are like theirs – and that his intentions are also for the pursuit of justice. By painting the image of historical heroes as extremists, he disproves that violence defines extremism; rather, he demonstrates that extreme moral actions should be encouraged.
Through the usage of biblical allusions, …show more content…
King wrote his letter in part to convince his audience that only action can defeat injustice whereas passivity only supports that broken system. By being a vocal extremist for justice, he convinced many to join his crusade, leading to our desegregated world. His use of rhetoric demonstrates to us that language can be used to create change in the world for the betterment of society. Much like how Edmundson stated that literature can help us create significant life, King shows us that language can help us change