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Rhetorical Analysis: King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”

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Institution Affliction

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Introduction

The 1963 letter "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. describes a protest held in

response to King's imprisonment for nonviolent resistance to tyranny. In the message, King expresses his desire

to use ethos in the fight for human rights and makes an emotional plea for unity in the face of racism. In the

same way, King uses his readers' emotions to make them feel compelled to take some positive action.

Throughout his writings, King employs a variety of logical arguments to elaborate on his view and the

justifications for the fight against white supremacy. The letter, which has a reflective tone, attempts to convey

the manipulation of the victims and the oppressors (Martin, 2019). King's letter exemplifies his writer's prowess

and commitment to his cause by employing all three modes of persuasion—ethos, pathos, and logos—while

avoiding logical errors.

Statement of facts

The King uses hyperbole to address clergymen and communicate his thoughts on his current situation

and societal racism. Because of his ideas on how individuals must live to create a healthy society, King is

currently incarcerated. Clergymen spoke out against King, saying that his acts and strategies weren't the right

way to achieve social justice. King contrasts with numerous examples and explanations to counter the clergy

members' assertions to back up his position (Martin, 2019). He bases his decisions and plans on what he

believes to be correct and suitable on a moral, emotional, rational, reasonable, and credible level. It is clear

from King's writings that he does not view religious leaders as being in the wrong, but he does think the

government could do more to ensure that people of all backgrounds live in good conditions (Martin, 2022). By

summarizing "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," we can better understand why King has become a legend; his

condemnation of racial segregation has struck a chord with religious leaders and others who strive for social

justice and unity.

Ethos

In this letter, ethos plays a crucial role. He could go to all of the southern states in the United States

thanks to his position as president of the Southern Christian Conference Held. Right here is where King
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connects with his readers emotionally, solidifying his status as an authority figure. Leadership terms such as

"president" and "every" demonstrates the group's credibility and add to the ethos appeal.

Advice on How to Become More Reliable

King was a gifted orator who learned to sway his audience using various persuasive techniques. In the

letter, he cites various celebrities as evidence for his claims. In King (1963), for instance, King compares

himself to the Apostle Paul, who preached the gospel throughout Greece and Rome. Despite this, King's letter

does not entirely follow Paul's layout. King lists several influential religious figures, including Jesus Christ, St.

Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, John Bunyan, Martin Luther, and others (1963).

Moreover, King consistently gives the impression to his listeners that he intends to implement radical

reform (Fulkerson, 1979). It is anticipated that this forthcoming change will be significant enough to be noted

in history textbooks and pervasive enough to be publicly recognized. These allusions to famous people provide

examples of ethos in the text. King knows that his entire argument and appeal are legally faulty (Martin, 2022).

An uprising can only occur if King (1963) establishes lofty goals. King uses these past events to set up the

contrast and bolster his case. His intention is admirable, but he will be more successful if he uses overt methods

to get his viewers to relate to and analyse his works critically.

Pathos

Through his speech, King lays out the current state of human rights. Because of his 1963 demonstration

against racism in Birmingham, he was arrested and charged with "violation of court injunction" and sentenced

to jail. The authorities also isolated him for a time. He flat-out refused to give him the call. The feelings that

King evokes in his readers are profound. King (1963) addresses such manipulative concerns with police

enforcement as the direct kidnapping of basic Human Rights by Birmingham Clergymen. To him, the permit is

unnecessary. Since King was well-versed in legal matters, he anticipated intervention from authorities.

Human Rights Abuses

King claims that the members' incarceration and treatment violate their human rights. The rally was

peaceful. Thus, his comment was justified. The police, however, violated demonstrators' human rights. More
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importantly, this is a message that the intended listeners need to hear. The King (1963) said that African

Americans had waited a long time to be granted fundamental human rights. Racism is a serious offence against

God and the law of any country in which it occurs (Fulkerson, 1979). He explains that the lack of ownership

opposes democracies and the constitution, and Black people, in particular, deserve the 'God-given' rights to

which they are entitled. As long as they stay within the law, citizens in every democratic nation have complete

freedom of expression.

Logos

Several reasonable justifications are provided in the letter. King, a gifted orator, has infused his writing

with several ethical justifications. In his letter, he makes an argument about what constitutes an "unjust" legal

system. By applying common sense to the problem of discrimination in modern society, King (1963) presents a

formulation of such laws and instances of how they are applied. Laws that are just and unjust are used as an

example by him. He claims that the 'unjust law' at work here is the fact that he is being arrested violates both

the law that everyone else must abide by and the legal system that he himself broke. King (1963) says it's

unfortunate that black people had to take a stand against white supremacists. King reflects deeply on his letter

before writing it, making emotional arguments (Fulkerson, 1979). There was no way around getting this

message across, and the example from the rhetorical analysis showed how effective rhetorical appeals can be.

Rhetorical Devices Used

King uses allusion and symbolism extensively in his talks. References to the Declaration of

Independence, the Constitution, and the Bible give King more credibility with his white audience, who are

more willing to listen to all those other authorities than to King personally. His use of an extended metaphor

comparing America to a bank helped ground his argument in familiar terms, keeping listeners interested and

making his points easier to absorb. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. uses tone, arguably one of the essential rhetorical

strategies and methods. Videos and transcripts of Dr King's "I have a dream" address show his optimistic and

confident style. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. was an individual with tremendous energy and determination

(Martin, 2022).
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Conclusion

Overall, the letter's literary and motivational greatness may be attributed to King's careful tone and his

deft deployment of ethos, pathos, and logos. Furthermore, King also uses ethos to present himself as a reliable

individual. He thinks it's important for you, the reader, to know that he's looking for a change that will go down

in the annals of time. King uses emotional pleas and his description of his predicament in Birmingham Jail as a

final resort to show the hopeless state of Human Rights. King also makes effective use of logos to justify the

government's rebellion (Martin, 2019). Therefore, the letter should be read as both a rallying cry for change-

makers and a warning to those who are resistant to it. To that end, this synopsis of a rhetorical analysis of

King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" shows how to employ rhetorical strategies to reach a wide audience and

effect positive social change. As such, it can serve as a template for your personal rhetorical analysis projects

on any pieces of literature.

References

Fulkerson, R. P. (1979). The public letter as a rhetorical form: Structure, logic, and style in king’s “letter from

Birmingham jail.” Quarterly Journal of Speech, 65(2), 121–136. https://doi.org/

10.1080/00335637909383465

Martin. (2019). Letter From Birmingham Jail: Rhetorical Analysis - Free Essay Example. EDUZAURUS. ht-

tps://eduzaurus.com/free-essay-samples/letter-from-birmingham-jail-rhetorical-analysis/

Martin. (2022). What rethorical device does Martin Luther King use in his speech - eNotes.com. ENotes.

https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-rethorical-device-does-martin-luther-king-474470