Letter To Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis

Martin Luther King utilizes rhetorical questions and the principle of logos in his text “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” King combines these tactics to strengthen his argument in support of the use of civil disobedience to combat racial injustice. He uses the persuasion appeal of logos to prove to common people that civil rights are a real issue, and to bring to light specific cases of injustice. On pages 6-7, he writes “[Birmingham’s] ugly record of police brutality is known in every section of this country. Its unjust treatment of Negroes in the courts is a notorious reality. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than any city in this nation. These are the hard, brutal, and unbelievable facts.” King …show more content…
This statement serves to further King’s argument. He effectively includes the logos appeal by combining a past example of injustice with a current one. This shows how the black community is strong, and will continue to triumph over oppression. Furthermore, “Letter to Birmingham Jail” is filled with many rhetorical questions. King uses these to force the reader to take a step back and think deeper about the situation at hand. He retaliates against the clergymen by writing, “In your statement you asserted that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But can this assertation be logically made? Isn’t this like condemning the robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?” (King, page 8). These questions are designed in such a way that any reader would have to pause for a moment and question themselves to find an answer. It is obvious that a robbed man should not be at fault for the theft of his possessions, yet when violence follows peace, it is suddenly peace who finds itself to blame. King knows that any sane human being would see the flaws in this