English midterm - Martin Luther King Jr essay

intro

When one is targeted with an unjust argument, it can be easy and natural to react harshly or defensively. However, the most effective way to communicate one’s message and make a real impact on that one disagrees with is to respond with knowledge, respect, and strong rhetorical tools. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. replies to a public statement written by eight white Birmingham clergymen using all of these tools. In April of 1963, King was imprisoned for taking part in nonviolent protests and received their letter criticizing his presence in Birmingham and opposing the demonstrations. Their statement became the exigence for his response, pushing King to defend his nonviolent methods and explain why direct action and breaking unjust laws were necessary. While the clergymen called for unity and blamed the protests for creating tension, King respectfully disagreed and answered with a powerful, thoughtful, and persuasive letter. In his letter, Martin Luther King Jr. uses ___, ___, and ____ to reveal the pain of racism and persuade the clergymen to support his nonviolent direct-action program.

emotional appeal/pathos

In his letter, King utilizes emotional appeal to persuade the critics on his side when he describes the daily sufferings of the African Americans around him. While responding to the clergymen’s objection about his direct-action program being untimely, King writes about how challenging it is to concoct an answer to his five-year-old son, who is asking, “…”  By describing what hardships and injustice even Black children are going through, who are innocent and only deserve to be full of happiness, King personalizes his response, humanizing the African American experience to make the clergyman empathize with him. By giving a true insight into how African Americans are feeling and what they are experiencing, he is creating a sense of urgency for there to be change, which must begin immediately, or else segregation’s horrors will continue to degrade even the youngest African Americans. King is also seen using pathos later in this paragraph when he describes the daily challenges African Americans face that white people do not. He writes about how unsafe their everyday lives are, explaining that Black people are “…” In this quote, King is also presenting a personal experience that almost every African American is going through around him. He uses this terrifying truth to display to the clergymen just how awful life is for too many Black people, to appeal to the critic’s emotions, and to make them sympathize with him. By making the clergyman have empathy for his people, King is able to persuade them to realize that segregation must be stopped sooner rather than later.

imagery

Another rhetorical choice that Martin Luther King Jr. uses to persuade the clergyman to his side is imagery. In response to the clergymen praising local Birmingham police for maintaining order and preventing violence during the civil rights protests, King uses vivid imagery to challenge their view. He tells them they would not speak so favorably of the officers if they had witnessed the reality firsthand, writing, “if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes… I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen” (King 9). In this quote, King is describing in much detail how the African Americans are being mistreated and brutally hurt for no just reason. This intense image of a Black, purely innocent man being attacked by police dogs reveals to the clergymen just how harmful segregation has been on the African American community and how important and urgent the need for change is. The imagery shows the clergymen why action must be taken, and why it must be taken right away. Another time King uses intense imagery in his letter is when he continues to force the clergymen to feel the human pain segregation is causing in his community. King vividly describes the lives of the African Americans, comparing their lifestyle to “smothering in an airtight cage of poverty” (King 3). By comparing segregation to the intense, vivid, and inhuman image of being trapped in a “smothering cage,” King shows his audience the oppressive and dehumanizing toll segregation takes on African Americans, who are being treated like animals. He also uses the word “airtight” to bring to life the helplessness and captivity that they experience daily. This horrific image turns segregation from a distant issue in the clergymen’s minds into a desperate, degrading reality, showing how urgently the nation needs racial justice and how seriously segregation is damaging Black lives.

rhetorical questions

Martin Luther King Jr. also used rhetorical questions in his letter to challenge the clergymen's moral viewpoint and encourage them to come on his side. His thoughtful and provoking questions make the clergyman stop and think deeply about their own morals. When the clergymen criticize King for being an extremist, King responds with a rhetorical question, asking them, “Will we be extremists of hate or love?” (King 7). In this quote, King is taking the label of an “extremist” used against him by the clergyman and turns it around on the critics. He forces them to see that the real decision is not whether to be an extremist, but what goal an extremist’s passion should serve. By switching his label around, King focuses not on his own actions, but on their moral standing. Later, when King is explaining the right that his people have for direct action, he uses another question to bring his audience on his side, asking, “Shall we say it is wrong to encourage a man to stand up for his God-given rights?” (King 6). In this question, King creates a difficult moral choice, making the clergyman realize that condemning his protests is going against the justice and faith that they preach. Through questions, King leads the audience into a logical argument, with a challenging and calm tone to persuade through undeniable moral reasons.

coclution

Through his emotional appeals, vivid imagery, and strong rhetorical questions, King is able to show the clergymen the real urgency behind his actions. By sharing the pain that even young Black children feel and the constant fear and discrimination African Americans live with, he makes the clergymen see the human side of segregation instead of treating it like a distant issue. His intense imagery also forces them to picture the violence and suffering happening around them, making it clear why change cannot wait. His rhetorical questions then make the clergymen confront their own morals and think about what they truly stand for. Together, these rhetorical choices help King explain why his nonviolent direct-action program is needed and why waiting is not just. In the end, King stands as a great example for us to follow in his steps in responding to unfair criticism with respect, logic, and powerful language.

logos

King uses logos by carefully explaining why direct action and civil disobedience are necessary and justified. He outlines the four steps of nonviolent protest—fact-finding, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action—to show that protests are thoughtful and organized, not reckless. King also logically distinguishes between just and unjust laws, arguing that just laws uphold human dignity while unjust laws degrade it. He supports this reasoning with clear examples, such as segregation laws that harm Black Americans while benefiting white citizens. This logical structure helps persuade the clergymen by showing that breaking unjust laws is not immoral but ethically required.

allusion

King relies heavily on allusion to religious, historical, and philosophical figures to strengthen his argument. He references biblical figures such as the Apostle Paul and thinkers like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas to show that his actions align with long-standing Christian and moral traditions. King also alludes to American ideals, including freedom and justice, connecting the civil rights movement to the nation’s founding principles. These allusions appeal directly to the clergymen’s values and education, persuading them that the fight for civil rights is not radical but deeply rooted in respected traditions.

why not an outsider?

invited to Birmingham by the Birmingham chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and that, as a leader fighting injustice, he has a moral responsibility to be anywhere injustice exists