As America moved out of slavery into legalized oppression, and eventually toward the Civil Rights movement, several men highlighted life in their time through their writings. In comparison of William Lloyd Garrison’s “To the Public,” Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience,” and Martin Luther King Junior’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” the reasons behind the blatant disregard for both legal and social rules are brought to light, contributing to the evolution of America as a nation. Despite their similar arguments of strong, extreme issues, they are set apart by their ethical and moral appeal, tone, and supporting ideas. In accomplishment of using his charisma and intellect to serve the cause of equality, King’s letter most heavily impacted
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Though all three writers aim to establish credibility, they do so on different levels, allowing King to reach the audience most effectively in appeal to their emotions and morale. Writing “To the Public” as a white male on the topic of abolition of slavery, Garrison could not personally relate to those who were oppressed, thus making this piece less effective. By threatening that “all the enemies of the persecuted blacks [should] tremble,” he unsuccessfully attempted to get the audience to relate with him and understand the injustice within the nation (Garrison). Limited by his lack of personal experience of the pain he fought to abolish, Garrison could only do so much to appeal to the audience. Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” also does not manage to connect with the audience due to a more self-centered approach. Through discussion of his one night stay in jail and criticism of American social institutions and policies, Thoreau explains his personal emotions of feeling directly mistreated by inherent injustices. For example, phrases such as “I felt as if I alone...had paid,” set himself apart from the audience, while additionally claiming “that the government is best which governs least” simply because he was disinterested …show more content…
Despite the threat of discredit and a bad reputation, Garrison held nothing back, asserting that “[he] will not retreat a single inch...AND [he] WILL BE HEARD” (Garrison). The audience is more likely to be turned away from his argument due to his harsh diction and unapologetic approach, yet he acknowledges “that many object to the severity of [his] language” and continues to carry out this negative tone (Garrison). Thoreau additionally did not take a strong approach toward his use of tone. His focus on his own experiences with the government rather than presenting a viable alternative for the American people as a whole exemplifies a self-righteous, arrogant tone. Instead of emphasizing the negativity of his situation like Garrison and Thoreau, King used a more optimistic and hopeful tone to motivate the audience and steer them from injustice. By calling out white men as oppressors from the stance of a black man while using a disappointed, scorning tone, he took a leap of faith to highlight what was necessary for a brighter, more progressive nation. The risks he took in his writing were empowering to the reader in addition to his motivational diction, as it appealed to their emotions. Again, his statement that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
Though all three writers aim to establish credibility, they do so on different levels, allowing King to reach the audience most effectively in appeal to their emotions and morale. Writing “To the Public” as a white male on the topic of abolition of slavery, Garrison could not personally relate to those who were oppressed, thus making this piece less effective. By threatening that “all the enemies of the persecuted blacks [should] tremble,” he unsuccessfully attempted to get the audience to relate with him and understand the injustice within the nation (Garrison). Limited by his lack of personal experience of the pain he fought to abolish, Garrison could only do so much to appeal to the audience. Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” also does not manage to connect with the audience due to a more self-centered approach. Through discussion of his one night stay in jail and criticism of American social institutions and policies, Thoreau explains his personal emotions of feeling directly mistreated by inherent injustices. For example, phrases such as “I felt as if I alone...had paid,” set himself apart from the audience, while additionally claiming “that the government is best which governs least” simply because he was disinterested …show more content…
Despite the threat of discredit and a bad reputation, Garrison held nothing back, asserting that “[he] will not retreat a single inch...AND [he] WILL BE HEARD” (Garrison). The audience is more likely to be turned away from his argument due to his harsh diction and unapologetic approach, yet he acknowledges “that many object to the severity of [his] language” and continues to carry out this negative tone (Garrison). Thoreau additionally did not take a strong approach toward his use of tone. His focus on his own experiences with the government rather than presenting a viable alternative for the American people as a whole exemplifies a self-righteous, arrogant tone. Instead of emphasizing the negativity of his situation like Garrison and Thoreau, King used a more optimistic and hopeful tone to motivate the audience and steer them from injustice. By calling out white men as oppressors from the stance of a black man while using a disappointed, scorning tone, he took a leap of faith to highlight what was necessary for a brighter, more progressive nation. The risks he took in his writing were empowering to the reader in addition to his motivational diction, as it appealed to their emotions. Again, his statement that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice