Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis

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Words and actions have the power to inspire an audience by using facts and evidence to support a topic, emotionally connecting with the audience, or motivating a person to do something. Words have the power to change a person’s opinion on a topic by presenting differential facts and evidence that makes them want to side with the opposing argument. This can be seen in The Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King who states, “As in so many past experiences, our hopes have been blasted.” This supports the main idea because in it Martin Luther King presents the fact that this is not the first time he has been let down. Saying this makes readers angry and more enticed to side with Dr. King, knowing that he is in more need of support than …show more content…

With this information, readers side more with the author because it rejects and contradicts their beliefs, so they change their views accordingly. The text How Black Businesses Helped Save the Civil Rights Movement by Louis Ferleger and Matthew Lavallee also provides information supporting the main idea saying, “The assistance of the organizational network of small businesses proved vital.” This quote too supports the main idea because it says that overall black businesses proved that the civil rights movement wouldn't have worked if not for them. This helps to change readers' opinion by having them stand on the writer’s plane of reasoning, that is, it is necessary in order for them to be successful. Another way words can inspire an audience is by emotionally connecting with the audience so they can feel more in sync with the text and their way of thinking can be persuaded. This can be shown in the text Letter From Birmingham Jail by MLK which states “Perhaps I was too optimistic, perhaps I expected too …show more content…

Another example of this can be seen in A Litany for Survival by Audre Lorde who says, “When our stomachs are empty we are afraid we may never eat again.” This also contributes to the main idea by relating to the readers using the emotion of fear. By doing this, readers know that they are not alone and that it is ok to fear something silly, so that they side more with the author knowing that they can relate to one another. Yet another example of this can be represented in the text How Black Movements Helped Save the Civil Rights Movement by Louis Ferleger and Matthew Lavellee which says that “Lee was shot and killed; the sheriff merely dismissed the death as an automobile accident.” This too supports the main idea by giving readers a sense of injustice served to the innocent man, making them too feel unjustified. By creating that feeling of injustice, readers become angry and frustrated, siding more and more with the author, knowing he is on their side. Lastly, words can motivate a person to do something by using fear or reward tactics in order to entice the reader to take

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