Preview

A Critique to “Letter from Birmingham Jail” After years of

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
912 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
A Critique to “Letter from Birmingham Jail” After years of
A Critique to "Letter from Birmingham Jail" After years of segregation and inequality, one man stood up and fought for what was right. This man spoke of dreams and for what he felt as morally right, ethically right, lawfully right and emotionally right. This man spoke of freedom, brotherhood and equality among all people, no matter what race they were. He brought forth facts and emotions to America that were being felt by the black community, which was being treated so badly. This man was Martin Luther King Jr., a clergyman and civil rights leader, who later was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. King opened the eyes of America to a broader sense of understanding, to a wider view of the inequality and hate that almost every black person was having to live through at that time. After several peaceful protests King was arrested for demonstrating in defiance of a court order, by participating in a parade, he was then taken to Birmingham jail. There in the jail, King wrote a letter to 8 fellow clergymen in response to a letter they published in a newspaper. King explained in the letter why he did the things he did, and why that had to be done the way that they were. King also tried to convince the clergymen to see his views, and to realize and accept the problem as a problem, not just a disturbance. King did this in talking about common ground that they all had, about beliefs that they all believed, and feelings that they all felt.

King relied on religion to help get compassion from the clergymen. Talking about what was morally and spiritually right, King tried to persuade the clergymen to look into their own hearts and find out what they felt was right. King used quotes of church apostles and even quotes out of the Bible for support of his dreams. For example, he talks about just and unjust laws and uses a quote by St. Augustine, a Christian philosopher and theologian, that says: "An unjust law is no law at all." In this example, King uses a quote by a know
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary
    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary

    Martin Luther King's "A letter from Birmingham jail" was written in response to a published statement by eight fellow clergymen from Alabama who seriously criticized King for organization and participation in the protest march against segregation in Birmingham. King's letter was an attempt to defend himself from these accusations and to criticize white heads and moderators of the church. In the begging parts of the letter, Martin Luther King tries to reject the accusation of being an outsider in Birmingham. He also goes against the accusations that the protests where “untimely” by stating several reasons why this was appropriate time for…

    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

    Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail was written on April 16, 1963 while he was incarcerated in the Birmingham City Jail. This letter addresses the criticism that a group of white men had thrown at him and his pro-black American organization about their non-violent actions against racial discrimination and injustice among black Americans in Birmingham. He notes that he doesn’t usually respond to letters of criticism but he thought that they were “good willed people and their criticism was sincerely set forth.” King writes this letter to defend his organization's actions. King's letter talks about…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is Mlk Thesis In Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 187 Words
    • 1 Page

    What Is Mlk Thesis In Letter From Birmingham Jail

    In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, King feels the Southern Church is unable to understand and grasp the complexity of this situation. He goes on to mention the four peaceful demonstration steps they have gone through, “collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action”(King 6). By stating this, King explains that if they just blatantly said there is racial injustice in the community, rather than peacefully protesting, there would be no gain in their goal of equality. King uses several emotional statements that are very logical regarding to the treatment of Negroes in Birmingham. He states, “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and…

    • 187 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Ethos In Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 1692 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Examples Of Ethos In Letter From Birmingham Jail

    (719), we have a dual appeal. Dr. King, to support his reasoning that a legal…

    • 1692 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 185 Words
    • 1 Page

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

    In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. uses rhetoric to persuade readers into supporting his cause. His letter addresses white men questioning his actions, though his message is for gaining supporters throughout America. Addressing the criticism of white men questioning and criticizing his recent behaviors, he begins explaining the motives behind his actions, their justification, and his next endeavors to rid America of its social injustices.…

    • 185 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis
    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis

    Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written in April 1963, during the African Americans fight for equality. Martin Luther King Jr.’s claim was not just to reply to the eight clergyman who had called his demonstrations “untimely and unwise”, but also aim his justifications at a bigger audience of religious and secular beliefs. An audience that is black and white; therefore King is able to justify his reasons and tactics of beginning immediate action using nonviolent protest to everyone. Throughout his letter Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrates the use of ethos, pathos, and logos to help support his claim while also consistently referring…

    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis of "The letter from Birmingham Jail"
    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analysis of "The letter from Birmingham Jail"

    On April 3rd, 1963, the Birmingham campaign began and people were protesting against racism and injustice. The non-violent campaign was coordinated by King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. However, King was roughly arrested with other main leaders of the campaign on April 12th for disobeying the rules of “no parading, demonstrating, boycotting, trespassing and picketing”. While jailed, King read a letter (“A call for unity”) written by eight white Alabama clergymen against King and his methods from the newspaper. In the letter, the clergymen stated that the campaign were "directed and led in part by outsiders," urging activists to use the courts if rights were being denied rather than to protest. The letter provoked King and “the Letter from Birmingham jail” was a written response to the white clergy men and to defend the strategy of non-violent protesting. Throughout the letter, King used many stylistic writing elements and effective emotional appealing to make people want to join his case.…

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    An Analysis Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages

    An Analysis Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

    In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” from jail in Birmingham, Alabama in response to a public statement issued by eight white clergyman calling his actions “ unwise and untimely”. African Americans have been waiting to have there civil rights of freedom, but the social courts has requested them not protest on the street but to take it to court. Dr. King wrote, “This wait has almost always meant never.” This is why Dr. king addresses this matter in a letter about the battle of segregation. He hopes that this letter will stop this injustice matter, and show what the African American desire. Furthermore, Dr. King had four steps to achieve his goals by collecting facts, negotiation, self-purification, and direct…

    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 1146 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

    Throughout the letter, King made many arguments that were refutations to accusations made by the clergymen in their letter to him. King recognized the arguments made by the clergymen and for each argument he provided a strong counterargument. One of King’s counterarguments…

    • 1146 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis Essay
    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis Essay

    The early 1960s was an era of change in the United States. African-Americans led a campaign, known as the civil rights movement, to gain the freedoms and rights they had been unjustly denied. One of the leaders of the movement was Martin Luther King Jr., a Georgian minister and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He traveled the nation to help lead nonviolent protests and fight discrimination. King's toughest challenge came in Birmingham, Alabama, where the movement was forcefully put down by the local government. In April 1963, King was arrested in Birmingham for leading the protests. While serving his sentence, he responded to a local letter published by Alabama clergymen in the newspaper. In his "Letter from Birmingham Jail," King explains what the civil rights movement stands for, what injustices African-Americans face, and why their actions are justified. To achieve his purpose, King eloquently organizes his letter, employs numerous rhetorical devices, and uses logos, pathos, and ethos. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is an incredible literary and historical work,…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Response to "Letter From a Birmingham Jail"
    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Response to "Letter From a Birmingham Jail"

    Martin Luther King Jr. wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in response to his fellow white clergymen who criticized his actions that landed him in jail. He used Biblical examples to show that his nonviolent actions were necessary for African Americans to move forward in this country. This letter was mainly directed to those religious leaders who have the power to do something about segregation but don't. The purpose is to hopefully get the backup from powerful religious leaders and end segregation. He communicates this message very effectively to these men from his quotes from Saint Paul and King Solomon which is preached within the churches of these religious leaders. He also justifies his nonviolent action by comparing it to "just" and "unjust" laws with one example of Hitler ( “We can never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany.”)…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Letter from Birmingham Jail Analysis
    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Letter from Birmingham Jail Analysis

    Martin Luther King wrote the letter on the 16th of April in 1963. He was responding to his fellow clergymen after they called him unwise and untimely. King was arrested for his civil disobedience in the protests and marches that he led. Martin Luther King's audience in the letter were the clergymen who are men of religion. Therefore King alludes to religious figures in order to appeal to the clergymen. He speaks in a respectful tone so they believe that he is a civil man and does not mean to offend them. In response to the clergymen's first claim that King is a an extremist, he uses allusions that appeal to the clergymen as well as anaphora and a rhetorical question. He refutes the claim that he is a lawbreaker by allding to religious figures and human rights. The clergymen also claim that King's actions are untimely. Martin Luther King responds to this with charged words and anaphora that are meant to refute their claim.…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    King's Letter from Birmingham
    • 604 Words
    • 3 Pages

    King's Letter from Birmingham

    While in Jail for peaceful protesting for civil rights, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, Letter from Birmingham Jail. He wrote it to a group of clergymen who did not support his civil rights movement in order to try and gain their support. King adopts a tone of controlled anger in order to create a logical yet emotional argument.…

    • 604 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Martin Luther King, Jr. a civil rights activist that fought for the rights of African Americans in 1963. King organized various non-violent demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that resulted in his arrest. While in jail, King received a letter from eight Alabama clergyman explaining their concern and opposition to King and his non-violent actions. This letter occasioned his reply and caused King to write a persuasive letter "Letter from Birmingham Jail," justifying his actions and presence in Birmingham. Although King’s reply was addressed to the Alabama clergyman, its target audience was the white people. King understood that if he gained support from the white American, the civil rights movement would reach its goals much faster. In his letter King effectively manipulates language and tone to strengthen his argument against the complaints of the clergyman and successfully address the white people. Throughout the essay, King uses several powerful tones to complement his strong opinion…

    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Civil Rights Movement Research Paper
    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Civil Rights Movement Research Paper

    Martin Luther King, Jr. emerged as a pivotal leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King was an advocate for civil disobedience and peaceful protest. In 1963, following his arrest during a protest in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. King wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” where various sources of oppression were described along with how to combat such oppression. In the letter, Martin Luther King, Jr. explained promises made to the African Community for equality that were never met. As a result of the broken promises, Dr. King called for pressure to be put on the authority figures who instigated such oppression. Dr. King described the pressure as a “direct action” and that the pressure would force negotiation to occur. Negative emotions were in the African American Community. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote that these emotions could manifest themselves a violence, if not expressed. However, Dr. King warned against acts of violence to achieve the desired end of equality. In the letter, Martin Luther King, Jr. revealed to white leaders the racism faced by African Americans and the difficulties faced by the children of this…

    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics