He uses rhetorical devices such as repetition, analogy, and rhetorical questions. Furthermore, exterior events regarding the movement could ultimately reflect on his influence and polarize the audience further. King says on page. The amount of original essays that we did for our clients, The amount of original essays that we did for our clients. is undeniably effective at responding to the rhetorical situation at hand. Specifically, King's letter addresses three important groups in the American society: the white American political community, white American religious community, and the black American society. His passionate tone flowed through these strategies, increasing their persuasive power on the people and encouraging them to follow/listen to his message on racial injustice. King uses tone, literal and figurative language to establish structure and language in his letter. Furthermore the Kings parallel structure clarifies and highlights his intent by building up to a more important point. To get a high-quality original essay, click here. " Any law that degrades human personality is unjust." Martin Luther King Jr. uses both logical and emotional appeals in order for all his listeners to be able to relate and contemplate his speeches. Through the masterful use of analogies and undeniable examples of injustice, Kings disgruntled response to the clergies proves the justification for direct action taking place to establish equality for African Americans., Martin Luther Kings letter from Birmingham Jail was written to respond to white religious leaders who criticized his organizations actions against racial prejudice and injustice among black society in Birmingham. Throughout the Letter from Birmingham Jail, ethos, pathos, and logos are masterfully applied by Martin Luther King. Furthermore, Dr. King had four steps to achieve his goals by collecting facts, negotiation, self-purification, and direct, Dr. Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is a response to Dr. King's follow clergymen criticism. When Dr. King first arrived in Birmingham, trouble occurred when he and fellow activists were . : "There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community." . Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America till the Negro is granted his citizenship rights (King pg. You may use it as a guide or sample for writing your own . While this fight had been raging for nearly 10 years, the release in 1963 was shortly followed by the Civil Rights Act in 1964. The rhythm and frequent repetition are used to drive home his key points, stressing the importances of his goal. There are people in the white community that are already standing hand-in-hand with them and their dreams. The topic of Dr. Kings letters from a Birmingham prison is the nonviolent protest being done in Birmingham, Alabama in the fight for African Americans civil rights. The following well-known adage is an example of parallelism: "Give a . In Letter from Birmingham Jail, King implements antithesis -- along with his background as a minister -- to demonstrate the hypocrisy of the Southern clergymen, as he attempts to further diverge the two diametric rationales; thus, he creates logos as he appeals to the audiences logical side and urges African-Americans to act punctual in their fight against injustice, prompted by the imprudent words of the clergy. 808 certified writers . Although Kings reply was addressed to the Alabama clergyman, its target audience was the white people. you can use them for inspiration and simplify your student life. However, Martin Luther King Jr is an extremely influential figure in the field of oration and rhetoric. With this addressed, his audience was truly the population of the United States, especially Birmingham, with a focus on those who withheld and complied with the oppression of African American citizens, even if not intentionally. This letter serves as a purpose to apply the need for love and brotherhood towards one another and avoid all the unjust laws. Parallelism In Letters From Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos and parallelism frequently throughout Letters from Birmingham Jail, to persuade the clergyman to support his actions in the civil rights movement. He begins strongly by explaining why he is in Birmingham in the first place, stating, So I am herebecause we were invited here. parallelism really etches into the audience's mind the seemingly never-ending hardships blacks face and the repetition makes it seem like a regular routine they endure. You can order a custom paper by our expert writers. Ultimately, King crafts antithetic parallelism to establish a logical structure that emphasizes logos in his argument: the timeliness of justice. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement in 1954. All Despite his support, Martin Luthers audience is one of the largest constraints in his rhetorical situation. King has explained this through many examples of racial situations, factual and logical reasoning, and . Yes he does criticize the white clergymen but basically he is trying to tell them that they should stop this segregation and that the black are not to be mistreated. Finally, King uses antithesis one more time at the end of his speech, when he writes when all of Gods children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands. The pairs he mentions are all the direct opposites of each other, yet he says that they will all join hands together and be friends. With these devices, King was able to move thousands of hearts and inspire the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 1, Penn State University Press, 1968, pp. Malcolm X, on the other hand, grew up in a rather hostile environment with barely enough schooling. Throughout the essay, King uses several powerful tones to complement his strong opinion, Martin Luther King Jrs Letter from Birmingham Jail is one his many writings on segregation and racial inequality towards blacks in the southern American states. During a civil resistance campaign in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. King was arrested. This protest, his subsequent arrest, and the clergymens public statement ostensibly make up the rhetorical exigence, but it truly stems from a much larger and dangerous situation at hand: the overwhelming state of anti-black prejudice spread socially, systematically, and legislatively in America since the countrys implementation of slavery in Jamestown, 1619. Ultimately, he effectively tackles societal constraints, whether it be audience bias, historical racism, or how he is viewed by using the power of his rhetoric to his advantage. Recent flashcard sets. King's letter from Birmingham Jail addresses the American society, particularly the political and religious community of the American society. Wiki User 2013-03-13 02:55:46 Study now See answer (1) Copy "One has not only legal but moral responsibility to obey just. His letter has become one of the most profound pieces of literature of the 20th century, as King uses vivid examples and eloquent rhetorical devices to counter all nine arguments. In this example, King implements logos to create a cohesive argument that appeals to the rational side of his audience: Southern clergymen. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a civil rights activist that fought for the rights of African Americans in 1963. It is rather for us to be here, As it may do that, it also seems to serve more of a logical appeal because he mentions the evidence of white brotherhood. Additionally, personable elements such as tone, inflection, and overall vindication behind the letter are left to be determined by the rhetorical language. His audience ranged between those who his message empowered, a radical positive force, and those who disagreed, made up of southern states, extremist groups, and the majority of American citizens stuck in their racial prejudices. Martin Luther found himself arrested on the twelfth of April 1963 after leading a peaceful protest throughout Birmingham, Alabama after he defied a state courts injunction and led a march of black protesters without a permit, urging an Easter boycott of white-owned stores (Jr., Martin Luther King). During the era of the civil rights movements in the 60s, among the segregation, racism, and injustice against the blacks, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial to deliver one of the greatest public speeches for freedom in that decade. In Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was this line, "We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right." King was the leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement as well as an activist for humanitarian causes. Using emotional appeals captures an audience's attention and makes them think about what the narrator is saying. In order to dispel any misguided ideas that whites have of the Negroes fortune, King tells them directly that Negroes are in poverty as everybody is blocking them from entering the ocean of material prosperity. The second time King uses antithesis is when he states that Nineteen Sixty-Three is not an end, but a beginning, which he aims to express that the revolution will not stop at 1963; rather it will have a new beginning. He takes up for his cause in Birmingham, and his belief that nonviolent direct action is the best way to make changes happen. MLK uses both ways to gain the attention and agreement of the audience but, he uses pathos not just more, but in a more relatable way in order to appeal to his audience. The eight clergymen in Birmingham released a public statement of caution regarding the protesters actions as unwise and untimely (King 1), to which Martins letter is a direct response. All of this accumulates into an unwavering social constraint placed on Martin Luther Kings rhetorical text. In the letter "Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. writes to the Clergyman to express his idea on the racial discrimination and injustice going on in Birmingham Alabama. Prior to the mid 20th century, social injustice, by means of the Jim Crow laws, gave way to a disparity in the treatment of minorities, especially African Americans, when compared to Caucasians. The letter was addressed to clergymen who had criticized King and made many claims against him. He uses a large number of rhetorical devices in his letter to reach his goal, including point of view, imagery, and rhetorical questions. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere!" Dr. King wrote 2 famous works, Dream and Birmingham and each had a different audience and purpose. The Letter from Birmingham Jail addresses many problems, including the slow action occuring to stop racial discrimination. This exigence is rhetorical because it can be improved if enough people are socially cognizant, whether that be in legislature or the streets of Birmingham, through creation and enforcement of equitable laws and social attitudes. In his "Letter form a Birmingham Jail" and his "I have a Dream speech, Dr. King uses metaphor, repetition and parallel structure to provide visual images which may evoke empathy in the readers and audience and emphasize the ideas he presents: the argument for civil rights and the goal to end segregation. King intended for the entire nation to read it and react to it. On April 12, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and nearly 50 other protestors and civil rights leaders were arrested after leading a Good Friday demonstration as part of the . 1, no. African Americans have been waiting to have there civil rights of freedom, but the social courts has requested them not protest on the street but to take it to court. Engels . Just as well, King uses his aspirations to create ideas within the listeners. Not only does he use pathos to humanize himself, but he also uses it to humanize his immediate audience, the eight clergymen. Identify the parallel structures in the following sentence from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," and explain their effect. Find step-by-step Literature solutions and your answer to the following textbook question: Identify the parallel structures in the following sentence from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," and explain their effect. Magnifying the differences between two things and repeating statements with similar structure brings about emotion to realize the wrongness of the injustice of civil. What type/s of rhetorical device is used in this statement? As mentioned before, the social and political ideologies in America surrounding racial equity at this time, specifically in Birmingham, were extremely poor. 1, no. While there were consistent and impactful efforts made by various groups for equality throughout the civil rights era, the proximity between the public release of the letter, found nation-wide by late 1963, and the passing of the Civil Rights Act in early July 1964 shows the direct impact the letter had on social attitudes following its publicization. His mention of involvement and leadership within a Christian civil rights organization, strength of religious analogy, and general politeness are effective rhetorical choices used to shape how he is perceived despite his critical response, racial setbacks, and arrest: a relatable man of faith, rationale, and initiative. While this fight had been raging for nearly 10 years, the release in 1963 was shortly followed by the Civil Rights Act in 1964. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law." King uses pathos to invoke anger, sympathy and empathy, his impeccable use of logos makes his argument rational to everyone, and his use of ethos, especially the use of biblical references, makes his opinions more reliable. similes, metaphors, and imagery are all used to make the letter more appealing to the audiences they make the letter more descriptive while making you focus on one issue at a time. He shows logos by giving a sense of hope to the people that better things will come in time. He evokes emotion on his audience by discussing the trials and injustice African Americans have endured. Dr. King repeats the same starting words when you have seen with different examples of injustices. Explain why the examples fit your chosen reason. That sentence magnifies the fact that good people doing nothing is the same as bad people purposely hindering civil rights. King concludes with optimism about the future of the relationship between the currently segregated blacks and whites. These purposes can be similar, or different. Both works utilizes the persuasive techniques of pathos in Dream and logos in Birmingham. Both of the works had a powerful message that brought faith to many. This protest, his subsequent arrest, and the clergymens public statement ostensibly make up the rhetorical exigence, but it truly stems from a much larger and dangerous situation at hand: the overwhelming state of anti-black prejudice spread socially, systematically, and legislatively in America since the countrys implementation of slavery in Jamestown, 1619. Its important to note that his initial readers/supporters greatly impacted the scope of his audience, spreading the letter through handouts, flyers, and press, in the hopes that others would be impacted for the better by the weight of the exigence at hand. King is not speaking only of racism; he is speaking of injustice in general. From this revelation, the audience will also realize that it is no fault of the Negro that they have been left behind in contrast, modern society have been dragging them back through racism. By addressing his respect for the clergymen, feigned or not, he is acknowledging the effectiveness of respect to those in power, whether they may or may not deserve it. Initially, the eight Birmingham clergymen are the audience and while they were not overtly racist, King uses rhetoric meant to have them understand his urgency. As the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s unfolded, Martin Luther King Jr. had, perhaps, the most encompassing and personal rhetorical situation to face in American history. SophAbs. They were arrested and held in . This period of quiet speculation over the law illuminates the national divide in opinion over the matter, one which King helped persuade positively. He proves his authority through his explanation of his experience as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia (King 232), and he emphasizes the importance of addressing the situation to him when he says, seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas, referring to the people of Birminghams resistance to the civil protests that he has been leading in Birmingham (King, Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. mentions the atrocities of racism and describes his endless battles against it. Even now, it continues to make generations of people, not just Americans, to give up their racist beliefs and advocate social colorblindness. Both their speeches, I Have a Dream and The Ballot or the Bullet may have shared some common traits, but at the same time, differed greatly in various aspects. Lastly, the exigence of a rhetorical piece is the external issue, situation, or event in which the rhetoric is responding to. The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: there are just laws, and there are unjust laws Any law that uplifts human personality is just. IvyMoose is the largest stock of essay samples on lots of topics and for any discipline. , 29 May 2019, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/letter-birmingham-jail. King was jailed along with large numbers of his supporters, including hundreds of schoolchildren. When teaching speeches and letters, it's helpful to refresh or introduce students to literary elements that enhance rhetorical strategies. While his supporters nation-wide were avid, determined, and hopeful, they were challenged by the opposing, vastly white population, comfortable in their segregated establishments and racist ideologies who would certainly weaponize his viewpoints. King organized various non-violent demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that resulted in his arrest. In Kings speech he says, Its ugly record of police brutality is known in every section of this country (King Page 6). As the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s unfolded, Martin Luther King Jr. had, perhaps, the most encompassing and personal rhetorical situation to face in American history. Repetition in "The Letter from a Birmingham Jail" Ethos Example "A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. Letter From Birmingham Jail and use of Parallel Structure and Anaphora Kirtan Patel Chapter 25 Chapter 24 Parallel Structure- repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This exigence is rhetorical because it can be improved if enough people are socially cognizant, whether that be in legislature or the streets of Birmingham, through creation and enforcement of equitable laws and social attitudes. Parallelism In Letters From Birmingham Jail 172 Words1 Page Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos and parallelism frequently throughout "Letters from Birmingham Jail," to persuade the clergyman to support his actions in the civil rights movement. He ended up creating a very persuasive letter, one that effectively uses ethos in establishing his character, logos in providing reason and logic, and pathos in reaching human emotions. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" "United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. These encompass his exigence, at its most simple and precise, and validify the importance behind transforming the country in a positive way. While in jail, King received a letter from eight Alabama clergyman explaining their concern and opposition to King and his non-violent actions. In terms of legacies, Martin Luther King Jr. is an example of someone whose legacy has left an impact on a great many fields. There are three main considerations to make while analysing a rhetorical situation: the constraints, the exigence, and the audience. While the Civil Rights movement superseded the dismantling of Jim Crow, the social ideologies and lackadaisical legislature behind anti-black prejudice continued to rack the country far into the 1960s. He does an exceptional job using both these appeals throughout his speeches by backing up his emotional appeals with logical ones. Without King, America would be probably still heavily segregated. Martin Luther utilizes powerful rhetoric to define his exigence. Dr. Constraints bring light to the obstacles this rhetoric may face, whether it be social, political, economical, etc. Lloyd Bitzer describes rhetorical situation as, a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations presenting an actual or potential exigence which can be completely or partially removed if discourse, introduced into the situation, can so constrain human decision or action to bring about the significant modification of the exigence (6). In Martin Luther Kings Jr, Letter from Birmingham Jail the letter was a persuasive attempt to get Americans to finally see the inequality in the United States of America. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with moral law. To minimize the possibility of being deemed invalid due to his race, he must choose what he states and how he states it very precisely which correlates to the constraints Martin Luther himself has on his rhetorical situation. These circumstances lead us to our next rhetorical focus: audience.
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