Analysis of “I Have a Dream” and “Letter to Birmingham Jail” In the “Letter to Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King addresses the criticisms and objections that the white clergymen had made towards his and his affiliated organization’s efforts in trying to end segregation and achieve his and his people’s birth right: the right to be free through nonviolent means. Through the “I Have a Dream Speech” King speaks to his supporters and as well as to the entire nation to make them be fully aware of the injustices they are facing and through this make them stand up to those injustices. Both “Letter to Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream Speech” have the same underlying meaning however. That way too long have the black community been treated wrongly. That way too long have the black nation been “judged by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character (King 815)” and therefore it is time for them to rise and stand up for their rights.
Letter from Birmingham jell, was to put it in literary terms, thesis statement of his life. In this paper, he meticulously illustrate his reasoning, using all complaints of logic, emotion, and ethics. A logical appeal is an appeal that uses the reason facts and documentary evidence to make a point This Letter, designed as a response to the clergymen that opposed the way in which Dr King was protesting, Dr King’s letter actually addresses two audiences simultaneously; the limited and defined group of clergymen and a broader and less exactly defined group of intelligent and religious white moderates. Dr King's letter brings out the black history of violence, harsh treatment and prejudice that started long ago. Also mentioning that Birmingham is one of the worst cities to be so ugly and brutal to the colored people all through its history.
The Balance of Objection and Respect While in jail, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the letter commonly referred to as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” as a response to a letter addressed to him earlier from the Clergymen of Alabama in order to refute many of their claims while also appealing to his neutral white audience. Through his use of parallelism, complex periodic sentences and Biblical allusions, MLK Jr. establishes his credibility to the Clergymen as well as the “white moderate” and illustrates to them the necessity of his protest while maintaining a respectful tone that is consistent with peaceful ideology. Although the letter is written in a non-violent tone, MLK’s use of parallelism and repetition throughout the letter demonstrates
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written in Birmingham Jail in 1963 as a response to the Clergymen to explain his actions and also to answer their questions on why he did not call off the demonstrations. King was a civil rights activist who organized a campaign against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. In his letter, King uses anaphora and allusions frequently. He also appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos to make his letter a paradigm of effective rhetoric. King uses allusions frequently throughout his letter.
Subject: The subject of this letter is to state the reason he is in Birmingham for trying to change segregation as social justice and his use of civil disobedience as an instrument of freedom. Occasion: Dr. King is writing this letter from inside Birmingham Jail for being accused of misuse of the law by performing in acts of civil disobedience to show his disappointment at the leadership of the clergy and laws that he and others of the black community deem as unjust. Audience: Although this letter was initially mailed to the eight white clergymen who publicly asked the black community to restrict their Birmingham demonstrations, King meant for his message to reach a much larger audience such as U.S. citizens. King used this letter as
Summary Response-Letter from the Birmingham Jail In this letter, Martin Luther King Jr. describes the current states of injustice and inequality that plague the Negro community during this time as he is writing from his jail cell. He writes to his fellow supporters and brothers and explains the reasons for being in Birmingham in the first place were because he felt it was necessary to protest injustice everywhere. Communities such as Birmingham were known to observe segregation laws that isolated black people from white people and in his opinion were classified as unjust laws. He claims to be a supporter of just laws and a non-violent protestor of unjust laws in which violate human morals and dignity. By citing references of protest such as Jesus Christ, St. Paul, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, he justifies his current actions for the Negro community and states that he is willing to face the consequences when it comes to protesting for equal rights amongst all Americans.
“But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.” He is using the rhetorical device diction in this quote to express the extent of his need and presence in Birmingham. Where ever injustice is in any city within the U.S. Dr. King goes to that city. The comparisons that Dr. King uses in his letter are used to provide an example of his actions to his critics in order to clarify them in Birmingham. “… and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Greco-Roman world, I too am compelled
In response to Dr. Martin Luther King’s letter to his fellow clergymen, it appears that they were asking or even possibly pleading Dr. King to stop his activities describing them as, “unwise and untimely.” These activities included a non-violent campaign of civil rights demonstrations, sit-ins, non-violent marches, concerns regarding police brutality and civil equalities for people of color. Dr. King eloquently wrote a long letter, as he sat in jail, describing all his concerns to a clergy of his peers, in the hopes they could see how all these injustices demanded action immediately and not by waiting as they mentioned. Dr. King was obviously disappointed with a letter that he received and wanted his concerns to be heard. As he sat in jail and pondered all the injustices he had witnessed or had been a part of, it appears that he had time to create a letter which he felt would outline and describe how he felt about the situation. When Dr. King stated facts about describing the situation in Birmingham, he clearly wanted to provide a foundation to build upon.
Kenza Yousfi Mr. Peters Lucas ENG 1301-04 3rd May, 2010 Violence Isn’t Only Violet “Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him”, wrote Martin Luther King, Jr in his essay “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, arguing about segregation. Human is adapted to violence for a long time, a part from the natural disasters. In all generations people have been tortured, deported, abused and starved to death, all by the same kind, humans. Thus, the enormous aggression between mankind endured to the extent of different forms of violence all under the inequality.
3) King balances the twin appeals to religion and patriotism throughout “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by linking them together. When he is told that he is an extremist, he answers with “Was not Jesus an extremist for love… Was not Amos an extremist for justice… Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel” (269). Here, Martin Luther King is linking both by saying that he can not be criticized for this since other did the same for different reasons. Therefore, Martin Luther King isn’t emphasizing religion nor patriotism more than the other since he wants his ideas to appeal to everyone. Questions on Rhetoric and Style 3) King’s allusions to biblical figures and events appeal to ethos because he is proving to have credibility in what he is saying since he is referring to the bible, which many people read.