Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a minister and an advocate of the civil rights movements, wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” as a response to the clergymen who questioned his demonstration techniques in their “Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen”. These eight clergymen voiced their concern that King, an outsider, controlled peaceful demonstrations against discrimination in Birmingham. Whilst the clergymen stated that they supported King’s ultimate aims, they disliked his “untimely and unwise” (“Public Statement” p 3) demonstrations. King, hoping to incite peaceful public action against segregation, discredits the clergymen's claims in his “Letter” using rhetorical devices and strategies to repudiate the clergymen’s concerns and support his argument. King asserts his credibility as a minister and civil rights activist throughout his letter using allusions. King refutes the first argument of the clergymen, King is an outsider, by stating, “I . . . am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here” (“Letter” p 2). King was the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference which supports his credibility as a civil rights activist. Furthermore, while King explains the imminent resistance of the oppressed, he states:
The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the [African American]. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom . . . reminded him that it can be gained . . . he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist . . . the United States [African American] is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. (“Letter” p 30) King supports his claim of imminent resistance by citing a biblical story of the Promise Land. By using biblical allusions, King is able to assert his credibility as a minister to his audience, which in turn allows the audience to trust King’s arguments. King appeals to pathos in order to relate logical reasons to sympathetic experiences. While refuting the clergymen’s claims that his demonstrations are wise and untimely, King recalls: When you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park . . . and see tears welling up in her eyes . . . and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people. (“Letter” p 14) King’s usage of diction helps his audience identify with the pain of being an African American parent in the South. …show more content…
King’s anaphoras allow the clergymen and the audience to anticipate the repetitions and to be more receptive to the emotional resonance. However, through anaphoras, “We urge the public to continue to show restraint . . .We further strongly urge our own [African American] community to withdraw support from these demonstrations” (“Public Statement” p 7), the clergymen’s arguments become authoritative and strict, affecting the sympathetic response of the audience negatively. King’s appeal to pathos prompts an emotional response and allows the audience to connect with King’s viewpoint. King appeals to logos through detailed facts and definitions to support his counterargument against the clergymen. The clergymen argued that racial issues should be properly pursued in courts since there is no justification
The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the [African American]. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom . . . reminded him that it can be gained . . . he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist . . . the United States [African American] is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. (“Letter” p 30) King supports his claim of imminent resistance by citing a biblical story of the Promise Land. By using biblical allusions, King is able to assert his credibility as a minister to his audience, which in turn allows the audience to trust King’s arguments. King appeals to pathos in order to relate logical reasons to sympathetic experiences. While refuting the clergymen’s claims that his demonstrations are wise and untimely, King recalls: When you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park . . . and see tears welling up in her eyes . . . and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people. (“Letter” p 14) King’s usage of diction helps his audience identify with the pain of being an African American parent in the South. …show more content…
King’s anaphoras allow the clergymen and the audience to anticipate the repetitions and to be more receptive to the emotional resonance. However, through anaphoras, “We urge the public to continue to show restraint . . .We further strongly urge our own [African American] community to withdraw support from these demonstrations” (“Public Statement” p 7), the clergymen’s arguments become authoritative and strict, affecting the sympathetic response of the audience negatively. King’s appeal to pathos prompts an emotional response and allows the audience to connect with King’s viewpoint. King appeals to logos through detailed facts and definitions to support his counterargument against the clergymen. The clergymen argued that racial issues should be properly pursued in courts since there is no justification