Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's 'Letter From Birmingham Jail'
Anna Murray
18 April 2014
ENG121
Rhetorical Analysis
A Call for Help Martin Luther King Jr. presents a compelling argument against segregation of the black and white community in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” He informs Birmingham’s eight religious leaders that he does not wish to cause violence but to promote equality among mankind, which has been disturbed by segregation laws and practices in Birmingham. King’s counter arguments signify the flawed claims made by the clergymen, forcing them to question their unjust actions and consider the benefits of non-violent protest. His elaborate justification of his perspective effectively ignites the power within his argument. King creates his counter response to enhance the evident faults in the claims made by the clergymen while making them aware off their …show more content…
He responds to the claim that his protests are unwise and untimely by stating that his protests have never been timely for the public, answering with “This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never’”(2)—there is not a better time than now to act. King uses pathos in his counter claim to address the reality of the situation while using vivid description by stating, “Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, ‘Wait’, but when you have seen vicious mobs lynching your mothers and fathers at will and brothers and sisters at whim…when your first name becomes ‘nigger’ and your middle name becomes ‘boy’—then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait (3).” King’s response not only ignites awareness that being separate but equal has made no positive effect on the black or white community, but is also a blatant call for direct action. His descriptions are not dramatized for entertainment, but are factual and truthful representations of reality in
18 April 2014
ENG121
Rhetorical Analysis
A Call for Help Martin Luther King Jr. presents a compelling argument against segregation of the black and white community in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” He informs Birmingham’s eight religious leaders that he does not wish to cause violence but to promote equality among mankind, which has been disturbed by segregation laws and practices in Birmingham. King’s counter arguments signify the flawed claims made by the clergymen, forcing them to question their unjust actions and consider the benefits of non-violent protest. His elaborate justification of his perspective effectively ignites the power within his argument. King creates his counter response to enhance the evident faults in the claims made by the clergymen while making them aware off their …show more content…
He responds to the claim that his protests are unwise and untimely by stating that his protests have never been timely for the public, answering with “This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never’”(2)—there is not a better time than now to act. King uses pathos in his counter claim to address the reality of the situation while using vivid description by stating, “Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, ‘Wait’, but when you have seen vicious mobs lynching your mothers and fathers at will and brothers and sisters at whim…when your first name becomes ‘nigger’ and your middle name becomes ‘boy’—then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait (3).” King’s response not only ignites awareness that being separate but equal has made no positive effect on the black or white community, but is also a blatant call for direct action. His descriptions are not dramatized for entertainment, but are factual and truthful representations of reality in