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

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Recommended: Rev. Dr. King’s use of rhetorical devices throughout the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

Imagine being beaten, thrown in jail, and denied your basic human rights. This is the exact pain and suffering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. went through during his fight for African American rights. Dr. King was an educated African American preacher and civil rights leader. By writing this letter, he is able to show what life was like for an African American at this point in history. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” is effective at convincing the audience that segregation is wrong and that colored people should have the same rights as all others. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is first able to make “Letter From Birmingham Jail” and effective piece because of the credibility, also known as ethos, he has and the references he uses throughout …show more content…

King also uses pathos to effectively appeal to the reader’s emotions. The most effective usage of pathos is showing how segregation was hard on anyone no matter their age. He describes his interaction with his young daughter, “see tears well up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children” (King 2). This section is meant for you to see that even simple things are taken away just because of their skin color. The child is seen as innocent in all of this and they still are being punished for something they cannot control. King also uses another approach that focuses more on the horror that African Americans faced by white extremists, “vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers… drown your sisters and brothers… when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters” (King 2). No one in their right mind would want to endure any of this or have anyone they care about face what these people faced. This creates a sense of guilt and sympathy for the oppressed people. Although he shows many of the sad ways the African Americans were treated, he also uses pathos by creating inspiration for the people. His mother is quoted as saying, “You must never feel that you are less than anybody else. You must always feel that you are somebody.” (Historic World Leaders 3). This also can be attributed to emotions because it creates inspiration for the African Americans, but it also gives the reader some …show more content…

He is addressing the clergymen directly with his letter, but he is also addressing the readers that will see it after the letter has been distributed to another person. He openly criticizes the clergymen and the other Christians that are supposed to be supporting the good cause and seeing that this isn’t what God would want. King says he is disappointed in the “white moderate, who is more devoted to order than to justice”(King 3). He is saying that is disappointed with the whites because they are more worried about following the laws that were set for them, than doing what is right. King also understands what history has said about African Americans, but he wants to show the readers that what the law has been is wrong (Osborn

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