Hoffman 1

Evan Hoffman

Ms. McKiddy

APEL

7 October 2019

Letter From a Birmingham Jail Essay

In the letter, “Letter From a Birmingham Jail,” (August 1963) by Martin Luther King Jr.,

King explains why he is in jail and responds to a letter written by clergymen. King was a leader

of his time in the equality movement and some of his values carry through to today's society.

King’s message is crafted through context, message, and audience.

Firstly, King illustrates context throughout the beginning of his letter. He states that

“while confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling our

present activities ‘unwise and untimely’” (King 1). The reader can infer that this help crafts the

author’s message because he was imprisoned for trying to speak his mind in the first place. If

there were equality at the time, like King’s beliefs, he wouldn’t have been locked up for

protesting in Birmingham. King also states his background when he says he has “the honor of

serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,” (King 1). One can infer

that this wraps back to his qualification because it talks of why he was in the south in the first

place. He is the leader of a christian equality group and movement. King’s ideas really continue

into his message.

King’s message throughout the letter is groundbreaking for its time. Even for his

opposition, he states that if he “said anything in this letter that is an understatement of the truth

and is vindictive of an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me,” (King 6). One can
 Hoffman 2

Evan Hoffman

Ms. McKiddy

APEL

7 October 2019

make an inference that King is forgiving because that is all he wants in return. He believes that

everyone is equal and loves everyone. He (King) even wishes that clergymen “commended the

Negro demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, willingness to suffer,l and their

amazing discipline in the midst of the most inhumane provocation,” (King 6). Here, readers can

see that King’s message is present because he talks of the ongoing provocation he’s against in

Birmingham. If the conflict wasn’t happening, King wouldn’t have to hope for a better future for

him, his peers, and his followers. Finally, King addresses his audience in the letter too.

MLK throughout his essay talks of his message and main idea, but he addresses his

listeners on page three about some of his concerns. Primarily, King states that he “must make

two honest confessions to you my Christian and Jewish brothers,” (King 3). A reader can

interpret that as important because King is confronting his brothers to show he acknowledges

they are listening. If they weren’t, King wouldn’t have too much hope probably in looking

forward to getting out of jail or to continue to spread his beliefs. King further states that he “must

confess that over the last few years, [he has] been gravely disappointed with the white

moderate,” (King 3). This is significant because it expresses his other audience of people who

want to hate on him and are pro-segregation. If they wanted equal rights for all, King wouldn’t

have had to come to Birmingham, and he most likely wouldn’t have been incarcerated. Overall,

Martin Luther King Jr.’s ideas and values are very important today and were especially

important in the past with his movement taking the nation by storm.