Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis

Whether we realize it or not, every time we argue a point, we use one or more of the Aristotelian persuasion methods, which are Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. The Ethos method uses credibility and trust, the Pathos method targets emotion, and the Logos method appeals to logic. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, which was a response to a letter from Birmingham clergymen, he needed a way to convince the clergymen that what he was doing was justified, and that his ideas were sensible. King used all three types of Aristotelian methods of persuasion in his “Letter From Birmingham Jail” in order to convince the clergymen to agree with his ideas of nonviolence and integration. It is most likely that the Ethos …show more content…
King explains that the African American community is not paid much attention to, even in tragic situations. “There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case.” (King, paragraph 6) This is completely unfair; even though African Americans didn’t have the same rights as white Americans at that time, their lives shouldn’t have had any less value, and the people who committed murder, which is a serious crime, should have been brought to justice. King then addresses the clergymen’s commendation of the Birmingham police force and explains why their commendation is irrational. “I doubt that you would so warmly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys;” (King, paragraph 28) This should logically, emotionally, and morally get anyone to agree with Dr. King; it is hard to imagine that anyone in their right mind could think that this treatment was fitting to a human being. King knew he had to implement this method of persuasion into his letter because …show more content…
It is most likely that the Ethos method of persuasion was the most effective in convincing the clergymen. The Pathos method of persuasion is typically the most effective method, but King wanted to ensure that the clergymen would be persuaded to agree with him, so he implemented other methods of persuasion. The Logos approach appeals to a person’s logical sense and is best used when convincing a person who is very skeptical; King knew that the clergymen were already kind enough to write him a letter and didn’t strongly criticize his ideas, so he utilized the last persuasion method to put his letter into perspective for the clergymen. The Ethos persuasion method was the best form of persuasion for the clergymen because King’s biblical allusions and historical references made it easier for the clergymen to see that King’s ideas and arguments were reasonable. Different people require different methods of persuasion, but it is best to include all three methods of persuasion in an argument in order to ensure that the opposition will be persuaded to agree with them, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. displayed in his “Letter From Birmingham