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.
In order to maintain a group of people’s attention to create an impact on their thoughts and feelings on a certain subject, a good speech must be given. What makes a good speech? A good speech is something that is memorable and shared continuously through the years because it was able to influence others positively. This is done through many characteristics that are essential to a well presented speech. An example of a good speech is the one presented by Martin Luther King Jr. His speech impacted millions of Americans and is still shared and remembered today.
He tries to support the fact that “(they) had no alternative except to prepare for direct action,” However he is able to effectively utilize several logical examples of evidence to help prove his point. King is able to use historical evidence to justify his argument. When King refers to how the Alabama clergymen said that even though their actions were peaceful they must be convicted because those actions brought on violence, he responds with a number of contradictions to this statement. First King gives a hypothetical scenario to contradict the statement, “Isn’t this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?” King also gives an allusion of Socrates to continue to prove his point, “Isn’t this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated he act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock?” King is explaining that their direct action was never intended to be violent and should never be condemned as such. The purpose of the march was to express their discord in a civilized manner.
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.
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.
“But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future.” King kind of challenged the church; with or without them, African Americans will continue to strive. “If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail.” This is also an example of pathos because it evoked sympathy from the readers. Another appeal to be mentioned is the ethical appeal. “I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives at present are misunderstood.” Martin Luther King is saying that he knows the outcome will be good. The question comes to mind, “What gives him credibility?” Him saying, “I have no fear…” shows his compassion for this issue.
Conclusion William “Bill” Gates and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were both young scholars who took risks and faced challenges to improve the way of life for everyone. Through their contributions they could achieve goals and provide innovative ideas to overcome obstacles. They were empowered to avoid allowing rejections set them back but to continue to persevere to heightened horizons. These famous thinkers have paved the way for many and encouraged individuals no matter their age or race that they too can accomplish their dreams.
The repetition of rhetorical questions in most people’s opinions would be considered an effective strategy. Repetition being another key weapon in Dr. King’s arsenal can drill certain ideas into the reader’s head, which is a good thing when persuading. Repetition for effect is used expertly when Dr. King repeats the phrase, “I have” to emphasize his multitude of experiences in the field of view like, “I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities” (215). Martin Luther King’s Letter From Birmingham Jail was taken well and was well respected not only by the clergymen, but by a multitude of people throughout history. This is because of the writing strategies he used that included flattery, display of credentials, allusions, use of metaphors, repetition for effect, guilt, and use of rhetorical questions, just to name a
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. may have been one of the most influential leaders of his time and maybe even of all time, but it was the way in which he delivered his speeches and who he directed them towards that made him appeal to his listeners. The influence behind King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and his “I Have a Dream Speech” relied directly on his use of the power of rhetoric and the awareness of his audience. The shift of tones throughout these two works of King is what brings about the way in which the audience is directed and who it is directed towards. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. King is directly in a non-broadened way addressing clergymen who were putting him to task for the non-violent protests in what they considered to
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.