Analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from...

Every writer needs an inspiration to craft a brilliant literary piece. Whether this inspiration is tangible or intangible, it is still necessary. Some forms of inspiration come as passionate love while others appeal as injustice. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail was a response to A Call for Unity by eight white clergymen. His inspiration for writing the letter was the clergymens unjust proposals and the letter allowed him to present his rebuttal. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively crafted his counter argument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen, and then using logos, pathos, and ethos to refute his opponents statements and present his own perspective. After stating the general purpose of†¦show more content†¦By using logical argument that is structured and sequential, King appeals to an educated persons thoughts and logic. Another instance when Martin Luther King Jr. utilizes the tactic of directly addressing his audience to present his rebuttal is evident in the part of his letter beginning, You may well ask: Why direct action? ... isnt negotiation a better path? You are quite right in calling, for negotiation. In this example, he also uses appeal to logic as the main backbone of his argument but occasionally intertwines pathos and clever word choice along with the logos. As with the previous example, Martin Luther King Jr. first identifies a portion of his opponents argument and slowly picks it apart. He accomplishes this by focusing on the word tension. Through a comparison of violent tension, which is undesired, and nonviolent tension, which is constructive, he gradually establishes the concept that the constructive, nonviolent tension will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. King uses exceptional word choice, such as dark depths and majestic heights, to accurately present his point of view. He then follows it up with Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue. His statement not only uses logical reasoning to identify the necessity for negotiation, butShow MoreRelatedSociological Analysis of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail1214 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Sociological Analysis of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail Abstract The paper analyses Martin Luther King, Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† from a sociological point of view and shows how three major theories (structural functionalism, social conflict, and symbolic interactionism) are treated in the letter. The paper shows different appreciation of King’s ideas and works by his contemporaries and modern people. 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Each man takesRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From A Birmingham Jail873 Words   |  4 PagesAfter criticism from eight Alabama clergymen for his nonviolent demonstrations, Martin Luther King Jr. was compelled to enlighten them on the current issues plaguing the African American community. During his confinement in a Birmingham jail, King wrote Letter from a Birmingham Jail to address most of the clergymen s concerns about his protest. In his letter, King emphasized why his actions were not unwise or untimely and explained that now was the perfect moment to act. Hi s studies and sermons