Letter From Birmingham Jail Ethos

Both authors were adept communicators and convincers. They knew their audiences. They knew exactly what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. King’s sincere, assertive, and righteous tone make “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” a powerful justification of his actions, and worthy request for forgiveness and support from his peers in the church. The subject of racism is serious, so it must be discussed with a serious tone. His ethos as a church and community leader makes him appear as an authority that is trying to do what he thinks is best for everyone. He uses pathos to make the readers empathize with his cause by citing stories of the violence and unsolved crimes in Birmingham, as well as critical moments in his children’s lives when …show more content…
A serious tone like King’s may have alienated his audience and not reached them on a level that would convince them to take action. Swift used a diplomatic and humanitarian overtone, and a subtly sarcastic and condescending undertone to create the satiric layers of interpretation, without scolding or blaming the reader. Swift’s use of satire is effective to persuade his upper-class peers by making them more receptive to what he has to say. The layers of interpretation make the proposal seem like it benefits the upper-class under the pretense of helping the lower class, making it more appealing to their greed and need to appear superior, while adding the third layer, making it a guise to convince the upper-class they need to help the lower-class. The absurd solution is an exaggeration of the upper-class’ current neglect and selfishness toward the lower-class. By proposing to treat the lower-class like livestock, the upper class becomes outraged at the dehumanization, and realizes how they have already dehumanized them. The satire prompts readers to form a counterargument to the proposal, which reveals the parallels between the proposal and their current treatment. When a reader makes their own realizations, and form their own conclusions, it increases the likelihood of them taking action, as opposed to being told how to act, proving Swift’s satire to be the most effective tone for his