NickGenaris
ProfessorNgoh
ProtestLiterature
21thOctober2015
LetterfromBirminghamJail–RhetoricalAnalysisDr.MartinLutherKingJr.wrotethe"Letterfrom BirminghamJail"inordertoaddressthebiggestissueinBirminghamandtheUnitedStatesatthe time(racism)andtoalsoaddressthecriticshereceivedfromtheclergymen.Theletterdiscussesthe greatinjusticeshappeningtowardtheBlackcommunityinBirminghamandalthoughitisprimarily aimedattheclergymenKingwritestheletterforalltoread.Inhis"LetterfromBirminghamJail," MartinLutherKingJr.useslogos,alliteration/repetition,andethostobackuphisbeliefthat nonviolentprotestinganddisobedienceisthemosteffectivemeanstoprotestshowmorecontent (Kingrealizespeoplefearchange)Ultimatelyusingexamplesofpeoplesodrasticallydifferentfrom eachotherbutstillgettingthesamemessageacrossisaneffectivewaytoshowtheaudiencethat extremismdoesn'thavetohavethenegativeconnotationthatithasbeenassociatedwith.
Anotherdeviceheusesinordertoguidehisaudienceisalliteration/repetition.Kingrepeatstheword "when,"inordertoemphasizetheproblemaboutdiscriminationandinjusticeThisinturnmakesit seemlikeamorecurrentandpressingissue.Italsoappealstopeople'semotions.Everytimehe repeatstheworditmakestheaudiencefeelthattheproblemisalwayshappeningwhicharouses moresympathy.
Inparagraph31,Kingalsorepeatstheword"extremist."Thisisinresponsetobeingcalledan extremistandhedoesanexcellentjobofturningitaroundinhisfavorByrepeatingthisword,he potentiallydiminishesthenegativeconnotationassociatedwithbeinganextremist.Heembracesit andisconfidentindoingso.Kingalsocallsbiblicalfiguresextremists.ForexamplehecallsJesus anextremist,andbydoing,soKingmakesitseemthateveryonegoestoextremestofightfortheir goal.Bydoingthishealsopointsoutthatthehighestauthorityintermsofmenwasanextremist, givinghimacertainamountofrespect.
Healsousesalliterationsverywell.Forexample:"...onlytogivebirthtoanill–formed
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OnApril16,1963,fromajailinBirmingham,Alabama,MartinLutherKingJr.composedan extensivelettertoeightclergymenwhocondemnedthetimingofthecivilrightsmovement. Althoughtheletterwasaddressedtotheseeightclergymen,theLetterfromBirminghamJailspeaks toanationalaudience,especiallyKing's"ChristianandJewishbrothers"(King,29).Hispeacefulbut firmletterservesasaremarkablypersuasivevoicetoanimmenselychaoticmess,andisseenasa majorturningpointinthecivilrightsmovement.Kingbelievesthatwithoutdirectaction,thefull rightsforAfricanAmericanscouldneverbeachieved.Hedefendstheimpatienceofpeopleinthe civilrightsmovement,upholdingthatwithoutforcefulshowmorecontent HewantshisreaderstoimaginethepainandhumiliationoftheilltreatmentthatAfricanAmericans endureonadailybasis.Kingwritesofviciousmobslynchingpeople'smothersandfathers, policemenkillingpeople'sbrothersandsisters,amanandhiswifenotreceivingtheproperrespect theydeservebecauseoftheirskincolor,andthenotionthatAfricanAmericansfeelinsignificant withintheircommunities;thisiswhythesepeacefuldemonstratorsofwhomtheclergymenattack "finditdifficulttowait"(King,20).However,Kingbelievesthatsoon,injusticewillbeexposed, like"aboilthatcanneverbecuredsolongasitiscoveredup"(King,30).Thisvividdescription helpsarouseanemotionalresponse,drivingshameintotheheartsofhiswhitereaders.Throughout hisletter,Kingalsousesliteralandhistoricalanalogiesaswellastheoreticallanguage,alsoknown aslogos,inordertoconjureacognitive,coherentreactioninhisreadersHisuseoflogoshelpsis argumentsstrengthandirrefutability.Kingstatesfactsthatcannotbeargued,factsthatareaccepted byallastrue.Hestatesthatfactthatheisinjail"becauseinjusticeis[inBirmingham]"(King,10),a statementthatisnonnegotiableHecontinuestosaythatBirminghamis"probablyoneofthemost segregated
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