Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Martin Luther King Jr. was famous for being a civil rights activist. This led him to write his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” King’s letter responded to an article published by white clergymen who criticized King’s actions toward gaining equal rights for blacks. King’s letter presented his message through pathos and anaphora. Henry Thoreau, another great writer, does not speak towards civil rights, but on the topic of the government. Henry Thoreau, author of the lecture “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” discusses "That government is best which governs least"(Thoreau). That means that the best government is one that is barely involved or not at all. Thoreau brings forth his message with rhetorical questions and anaphora. Overall, both authors do a great job of developing their pieces and presenting their methods conveyed within their pieces; however, Martin Luther King Jr.’s piece was more effective. King’s piece was more …show more content…
develops his piece with pathos. Pathos trigger emotions from the reader to persuade them. An example of pathos in King’s works would be, “when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park […] and see tears welling up in her eyes...” (King). Due to King’s work of pathos the audience is triggered into creating feelings of sorrow towards King’s daughter who is excluded due to her ethnicity. Another example of pathos, “If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail.” (King). In that excerpt, King states that the troubles they endured while being slaves could not stop them from earning their freedom; therefore, the troubles they are facing now cannot stop them from earning their rights. This statement shows King’s dedication towards gaining civil rights. All in all, King uses pathos to draw the audience’s emotion to deliver his