Martin Luther King Jr: An Analysis of the Letter from Birmingham Jail

MLK Jr’s letter is intended to reach the white people, who he was discriminated from. MLK Jr. is showing how it is like living life while being discriminated by writing the letter from Birmingham Jail. He wants to show how the discriminated people are feeling and being treated. If it reaches the white people, they might understand how it is like to be treated unfairly.

“I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” was once said by the African-American rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. He was arrested in the summer of 1961 for parading without a permit and wrote the infamous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to white clergymen about rights of blacks. Although Martin Luther King Jr.'s various applications of rhetorical appeals and devices added to the "Letter From Birmingham Jail,” pathos and ethos had the most advantage to enhance the letter because they allowed the audience to have an emotional connection to African-American lives and shows the education and trustworthiness of MLK.

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but rather, the silence of our friends. (MLK)” This quote from the inspirational civil rights leader captures the motivation behind his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” He wrote this letter in 1963--after he had been jailed--in response to southern white clergy who called his actions “unwise and untimely.” Although MLK utilizes many varying appeals and devices, Kairos and anaphora are the most forceful because they pressure the white clergy and stimulate guilt in them.

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King responds to the clergymen’s criticism on his non-violent actions being “unwise and untimely.” In his introduction, King uses front loading to provide a preview and background of what his letter will discuss. As he justifies why his actions were not “unwise or untimely” King addresses the bigger issue of the black community suffering injustices and the need to take action for justice. To convey his arguments King effectively uses quotations, allusions and pathos to support his argument and to refute what his opposition is saying.

In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail, he argues that segregation is inhumane and is hurting the American society as a whole. All the time and energy that goes into segregation is slowing down the American society’s progress to succeed as a nation. He uses several rhetoric strategies that help adopt a tone that is both personal and logical. King was able to incorporate the rhetoric triangle into his letter and still managed to address his arguments. While using pathos, ethos, and logos, Martin Luther King Jr. was able use the clergymen’s accusations to successfully promote his own views and opinions instead.

In his "Letter," Martin Luther King Jr.'s ability to effectively use pathos, or to appeal to the emotions of his audiences, is evident in a variety of places. More particularly in paragraph fourteen, King demonstrates his ability to inspire his fellow civil rights activists, invoke empathy in the hearts of white moderates, and create compassion in the minds of the eight clergyman to which the "Letter" is directed.

Obviously, again my primary motivation for writing my Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is that this is a requirement for my English Composition Class. My heartfelt motivation for writing my Rhetorical Analysis is the respect I have for Martin Luther King’s intelligence and commitment that he displayed for the equality of the African American population. In analyzing “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, I developed an even stronger understanding of the dedication Mr. King had for the disadvantaged poor black population and the injustice that victimized them on a daily basis.

“Letter from Birmingham Jail” indicates the struggles Martin Luther King Jr previously dealt with in an attempt to end segregation. MLK uses rhetorical devices such as allusion, pathos and anaphora to assist his reasoning. The devices applied help MLK direct and relate the conditions African Americans were facing due to their discrimination.

In Martin Luther King Junior’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, MLK uses ethos, logos, and pathos powerfully and effectively to present his argument that the discrimination of African Americans all over the country is unbearable and should be outlawed forever. King wrote the letter in Birmingham, Alabama after a peaceful protest against segregation which was King’s way of reinforcing his belief that without forceful, direct actions (such as his own), true civil rights could never be achieved.

Ever wonder how logos and pathos are used in writings and compared? We you can always learn how when reading MLK speeches and letters. “I Have a Dream” spoken by Martin Luther King in front of the Lincoln Memorial with thousands of black and whites listening. “Letter From Birmingham Jail” written by Martin Luther King in Birmingham jail to eight clergymen. In this paper I will compare how Martin Luther King uses logos and pathos from his letter and speech.

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King strongly advocates for an immediate change in segregation laws. Give his audience of clergymen oblivious what life is like for black people, King uses pathos to enlighten the men of the urgency for change. He creates a very deep and passionate tone to convey the severe necessity for a reform. He also uses different kinds of figurative language like anaphora, to build the intensity of the paragraphs.

Throughout Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, written to the Alabama Clergymen, he addressed the innumerable hardships that African Americans were enduring at this time. He explains how African Americans have waited much too long for their natural rights. His goal is to point out the flaws and lack of equality in the United States. Martin Luther King Jr. uses rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos to show the struggle of African Americans at this time.

MLK’s letter is effective because he uses examples in which white people have been wrongfully acting upon blacks. He uses invention in which he discovered the right ideas that came out of the letter he received from the clergymen. The [black] people of Alabama have been acting up because they haven't been able to, until that very moment. Their actions were viewed as inappropriate, but they are trying to liberate themselves from the oppression. The effectiveness that came from this letter is the examples used by

In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. was thrown into jail due to participating in non-violent protests against racism and segregation in the city of Birmingham. There, he wrote the famous “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” which became one of the most important letters in history of the American civil rights movement (Colaiaco 1). The open letter covered many points to King’s arguments for why the marches, protests, and other non-violent actions were necessary and justifiable. James Colaiaco analyzes the key components to the letter and the different ways Martin Luther King, Jr. used literary devices to form a well written argument.

:"Letter from Birmingham Jail" is a powerful piece of writing that graces the writings by Martin Luther. Part of the power lies in the use of rhetorical devices such as ethos, logos, and pathos in the letter. Luther used these stylistic devices and literary approaches to express his message, intention and express the mood of the letter making a masterpiece like no other letters before.