Martin Luther King‚ Jr.‚ in his famous Letter from the Birmingham Jail‚ responds forcefully yet politely to a public statement made by eight Alabama clergymen in 1963. He defends his position as an African American and strongly defends racial equality‚ referencing countless sources and utilizing several literary devices. Most significantly‚ King uses frequent Biblical allusions and metaphors‚ not only to relate to the Clergymen and the people of Alabama‚ but also to display his passion for equality
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Journal #10 Letter from Birmingham Jail November 10‚ 2014 • Subject: Answering several criticisms from the clergymen‚ Dr. King himself addressed why he was in Birmingham and why racial segregation needed to be changed now. He explicitly pointed out that civil disobedience was necessary and timely. He implicitly blamed the Christian church members for not standing up for their fellow brothers and justice; he also displayed disappointment at the leadership of the clergy. • Occasion: The United
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This was Martin Luther King Jr.’s decision when deciding whether or not to travel to Birmingham to preach his beliefs. In a Letter From Birmingham Jail‚ Martin Luther King Jr.‚ tries to convince the clergymen that it is necessary to go to Birmingham by appealing to their reason and emotion. Luther initially begins by trying to appeal to their sense of logic by listing multiple reasons why he must go to Birmingham. Luther states that Christ had traveled to the far corners of the Greco Roman world
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A letter could contain the proclamation of one’s love from a long lost friend. A letter could be addressing one’s recent trip‚ detailing the sights they saw. Or in this case‚ a letter could change the course of history. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail was a plea for justice‚ a call for unity‚ and a proclamation for the American people to look past the color of one’s skin. These appeals that were evident throughout the letter all led to a simple demand for a two-syllable word
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Letter from Birmingham Jail In Martin Luther King Jr.’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail‚" He’s responding to a statement made by clergymen in Alabama about his dealings in Birmingham‚ Alabama. In this letter King uses rational ideas‚ moral values‚ and emotion to establish to the clergymen as well as the "white moderate" why civil rights should be granted to African Americans. In his letter King uses powerful literary tools that strongly match his views. He uses similes to help the audience
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Helal Ahmed Professor Smith English 125 October 6‚ 2010 Summary of M.L.K.’s Letters from Bringham Jail Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written during his 8 day sentence in jail in 1963. He chose to travel and protest in Birmingham due to the fact that it was widely known as one of the most segregated city in the U.S. The letter not only addresses the issues of unjustly being arrested for being an "extremist" of his approach to the protest‚ and of the
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leader and a powerful historical figure. He is often remembered most for his writings and speeches‚ in which he invokes many philosophical theories and speakers to justify the opinions he expresses in them. In MLK’s‚ “Letter from Birmingham Jail‚” he uses philosophical thinkers from the past to support the idea that civil rights activists should be allowed to protest peacefully‚ in spite of the laws against it. One of the thinkers MLK uses to support his argument is St. Thomas Aquinas‚ who wrote
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“Letter from Birmingham Jail” My Husband’s great uncle had the privileged to protest and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr many times and I am always willing to read anything that has to do with this great man. So after reading this well written letter that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote‚ I was very moved by his words. I have to admit that I was not sure what the events where that prompted him to write this. So‚ of course‚ I had to do a little research so I can get a better idea of what it
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The general argument made by King in his letter titled “ Letter from Birmingham Jail” is that in order for Blacks to get their rights they must use non-violent resistance. More specifically‚ King argues that they must demand that they get their rights and he states that with time‚ the non-violent resistance will make situations which will force whites to negotiate. There are two distinct sides to this very complicated issue‚ and while King argues that non-violent resistance is the key to acquiring
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by several clergymen criticizing Martin Luther King Junior’s most recent activities and stating that the activities were unwise and untimely. In the “Letter From Birmingham Jail‚” MLK addresses the clergymen’s concerns by explaining and justifying why his civil disobedience should be supported. To start off‚ MLK explains that he is in Birmingham because injustice is there. He defends his right to be there fighting for his rights. He then compares himself to the Apostle Paul to make a connection
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