Preview

Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter To 'Former Master' By John Anderson

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
193 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter To 'Former Master' By John Anderson
Jourdon Anderson, a former slave, wrote this letter to his former master after the Civil War. Anderson stated that he had loyally served his master for 32 years, and is now requesting he receive compensation for his labor during that time.

The tone and is context is very important to note in this letter. Anderson clearly states how he is now successful and able to financially provide for his family. This is further emphasis directed at the former master illustrating that Anderson is now fully independent.

What I did find confusing, however, was the fact that Anderson would even consider returning to work for his former master. Some of the horrible events that he mentioned throughout the letter, including being personally shot at and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    It all began with a letter from my good friend Howard. An excitable chap filled with whimsy and boundless enthusiasm but nonetheless most dependable. A man I had known almost my whole life. I had not seen him in some 2 years and so I was quite pleased at receiving this letter.…

    • 8298 Words
    • 34 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    A contemporary scientist, Edward O. Wilson, writes two argumentative passages, and places them next to each other to prove a major point. In these passages Wilson satirizes the language of two groups that are on two opposite sides when it comes to the environment. He makes these passages plum silly looking, just as two kids would fight over who receives the largest glass of milk.…

    • 315 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Son of a former slave, farmer, astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, and author Benjamin Banneker in his letter to Thomas Jefferson, a mournful way to declare his knowledge towards the slaves in the United States. Banneker’s purpose is to justify the ways of living of the slaves. He adopts an aggravated tone in order to forebode in his letter. Banneker achieves his tone through the use of selection of details and syntax.…

    • 197 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Abigail Adams' insightful letter of advice did not only inspire her son, but the children of America. As the wife of 2nd president John Adams, her involvement politically was unavoidable, so she implanted the ideas of environmental and political proactivity via a well composed letter to her son. This letter's success cannot be based on its concept alone, but also by its employment of formal language and historical/biblical allusions to ascend her ethos into that of great American history.…

    • 194 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    (3) In no more than three sentences, describe what you perceive to be the central message of this letter:…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Downe’s letter to his wife creates an enthusiastic, persuasive tone to try to convince her to leave England and come to the United States. The diction he uses and the way he structures his sentences highlights the points he tries to make. He uses an array of rhetorical strategies and devices such as imagery, tone and attitude, and pathos to do so.…

    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested on April 12, 1963, in Birmingham, for protesting without a permit. The same day that King was arrested, a letter was written and signed by eight clergymen from Birmingham and titled “A Call for Unity”. The letter called for ending demonstrations and civil activities and indicated King as an “outsider”. On April 16, 1963, King responded to their letter with his own call, which has come to be known as his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” King justified the nonviolent measures that sent him to jail and explained why the segregation laws against blacks in the south must be changed (356-371). At the beginning of this letter, King gives us the reason why he was in Birmingham. Not only was he invited there as president of the SCLC to launch and support the protests but also because injustice was in Birmingham. It was probably the most thoroughly segregated city (356). Then, King continues to refute that he was an "outsides" since they are all American and they are all “carry the gospel of freedom”(357). For instance, King tells of the failure in negotiation with the government. He describes the serious injustice facts among the black people to prove that there is no better timing for something that has been at conflict and “waiting” for 340 years (360). Furthermore, King explains why direct action is breaking the laws since it is an unjust law. He also justifies his nonviolent actions by comparing "just" and "unjust" laws with one example of Hitler (361). Continually, King addresses charges that the civil rights movement was "extreme" by quoting from the Bible. Then he points out the negative aspects of the white moderates. King states that they are not creating tension…

    • 1697 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the spring 1963, Martin Luther King was jailed due to his non-violent demonstrations against racial segregation at Birmingham. Eight of Alabama’s top white religious leaders criticized his action as “unwise and untimely,” and called him an “outsider.” Martin Luther King responded with his own article, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” He explained his reasons in Birmingham, and necessities of taking nonviolent direct action in Birmingham. He also persuaded the audiences to get involved with the African-American civil rights movement. Throughout this letter, there are many smart and clever uses of logical appeals (King).…

    • 1366 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr., born on January 15, 1929, fought for the injustices of his brothers and sisters throughout his life. While being an active activist, Martin Luther King was imprisoned to Birmingham jail due to his participation in a nonviolent demonstration against segregation and discrimination in Alabama. During his sentence, he wrote a letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” to counter the criticisms of his actions from the clergymen by claiming that “An unjust law is no law at all”(par. 12), “Injustice everywhere is a threat to justice…

    • 1359 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Lewis introduces pathos into his speech when he is describing the violent methods of the government against blacks. For example, Lewis vividly describes the notorious actions of the government when saying, “What did the federal government do when local police officials kicked and assaulted the pregnant wife of Slater King, and she lost her baby?” (para. 6). In this statement, Lewis shows how the government has failed to keep black people safe and continue to harm them, and that these people harmed can not recover from the pain they have received. Lewis utilizes pathos in order to gain the audience's support, to gain their sympathy and perhaps make the event sound more gruesome than it actually was, which nonetheless was an inhumane act…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Letter from Birmingham Jail is a letter written by Martin Luther King, Jr. while he was in jail for participating in peaceful protest against segregation. He wrote the letter in response to criticisms made by white clergymen. Dr. King’s goal of this letter was to draw attention to the injustice of segregation, and to defend his tactics for achieving justice. He uses a large number of rhetorical devices in his letter to reach his goal, including point of view, imagery, and rhetorical questions. He uses these rhetorical techniques along with a logical argument to demonstrate why his methods were right.…

    • 1288 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This long complex quote came from the well-known letter of Birmingham jail written by Martin Luther king. Through this letter, he uses a lot of different writing techniques to reach out to his audience. This writing technique has not only made me look at his writing but also feel connected to his writing. He was an American Baptist minister, social activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. He is a strong, well known powerful figure from America’s history.…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1984 Rhetorical Analysis

    • 1200 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In this passage from 1984 by George Orwell, Winston is admiring the prole woman below hanging diapers because she loves her family and will even ignore the care of her own body to be helpful towards her family. He is showing that he admires the caring and maternal aspects of this woman and how simple her life is. This passage allows the reader to understand his respect towards the prole life and his desire for a caring figure and simplicity in his own life. Orwell uses a couple different tones here such as a nostalgic one as well as a happy one to prove to you that it is an important quality in Winston’s eyes. He also contrasts the behavior of the woman to that of Julia, who is not respectful of the woman because she does not admire the…

    • 1200 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, Douglass uses rhetorical devices to convey his meaning that slavery is the worst possible experience for humanity in a contemptuous tone. Douglass states, “the wretchedness of slavery, and the blessedness of freedom, were perpetually before me.” This use of antithesis in parallel structure is used to convey his meaning by contrasting the two ideas of slavery and freedom, showing how extremely awful or beautiful each is and to show the differences between them. The use of the word “wretchedness” creates a contemptuous tone in this quote. He then goes on to state that upon arriving in New York he felt “like one who had escaped a den of hungry lions.” This simile is used to show the extent of his fear when in the south, showing how slavery is the worst experience for humankind. This comparison is made using a scornful tone, shown by the dehumanizing of the South through slavery. Next, Douglass explains that during his stay in the North “[he] was afraid to speak to any one for fear of speaking to any one for fear of speaking to the wrong one, and thereby falling into the hands of money-loving kidnappers, whose business it was to lie in wait for the panting fugitive, as the ferocious beats of the forest lie in wait for their prey.” Douglass writes this long sentence for the rhetorical effect of imitating the style of a person ranting, or speaking uncontrollably due to fear to show the horror of slavery. This is written in a bitter or scornful tone through his descriptions of the fugitive kidnappers. Douglass also includes that “[he] saw in every white man an enemy and in every colored man cause for distrust.” This almost equal parallelism is used to compare the common fear Douglass had for both races. The negative outlook on both races shows Douglass’s disdainful tone. Douglass further explains his outlook when he states his motto at the time was “Trust no man!” This…

    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was written by Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 16, 1963 in response to a public statement made by eight Alabama clergymen that was published on April 12 of that same year.…

    • 982 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays