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Even the most cursory analysis of "Letter From Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. and "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift reveals glaring differences between the two essays. Surprisingly, a side-by-side comparison also yields many similarities between the two works. The most obvious similarity between the two essays is the overarching theme of the subject matter. In both essays, the writers address deeply-entrenched social injustices. For example, in "Letter From Birmingham Jail", King, in his highly-impassioned and evocative style, submits a powerful essay that addresses racial segregation in the American South during the 1950s and 1960s. In his letter, King mentions that the brutal history of the "American Negro's" trials and tribulations measured by the impact of the social injustices that they had suffered were traceable to the era of slavery, a history that had rooted long before President Lincoln's "Emancipation Proclamation" was written (5). According to King, "Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson scratched across the pages of history the majestic word of the Declaration of Independence, we were here." (5). King makes it clear that social inequality and injustice were an integral part of the history of blacks in America. LAST NAME 2 Similarly, Swift's "A Modest Proposal" addresses class inequalities between the rich and the poor in Ireland, and the social injustices that were commonplace between the upper and lower class. His focus is mainly directed toward the suffering of children who "... ... middle of paper ... ... and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter From Birmingham Jail" are very different in terms of literary technique and approach, the two works bear some uncanny similarities that yield some surprising likenesses in many aspects. The comparisons and contrasts drawn here highlight the most significant of those features with respect to the works of two men who are both revered for the virtues they espoused during their lifetimes. Works Cited King, Jr., Martin Luther, "Letter from Birmingham Jail", www.uscrossier.org/pullias/king-jr-letter-from-birmingham/. Swift, Jonathan, "A Modest Proposal", www2.hn.psu.edu/.../swift-modestproposal6x9.pdf. http://itiswhatitislifeishard.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/nonviolent-proposals-responses-to-societal-issues-in-jonathan-swifts-a-modest-proposal-and-martin-luther-king-jr-s-letter-from-birmingham-jail/.
While the differences between the Letter from Birmingham Jail, written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Benjamin Banneker letter are noticeable, the similarities are striking. Through the use of strong allusions, logos, and pathos, these two remarkable letters provide intriguing arguments against slavery and oppression, promoting equality with two different perspectives, allowing the reader to understand the difficulties segregation and racism placed upon the African American society.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his famous “A Letter from the Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963 while he was imprisoned in the Birmingham Jail for being involved in nonviolent protests against segregation. The letter is directed at eight white clergymen from Alabama who were very cynical and critical towards African Americans in one of their statements. Throughout the letter, King maintains an understanding yet persistent tone by arguing the points of the clergymen and providing answers to any counterarguments they may have. In the letter, King outlines the goals of his movement and says that he will fight racial inequality wherever it may be. Dr. King uses the appeal three main rhetorical devices – ethos, logos, and pathos – in order to firmly, yet politely, argue the clergymen on the injustices spoken of in their statement.
Martin Luther King’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is a very sophisticated argument that gets to the point, but in the same time it gets very deep and complex. The letter is a historical and emotional letter that spoke to the hearts of people all across America. It was also well thought out and wrote with great deep meaning. By using three categories of persuasion, ethos, pathos, and logos, King was able to get on a much needed personal level with his audience. Along with letting the reader know that he had valid ideas and reasons. Getting on a personal level would let King explain his view of what was Right and unjust. I believe that King’s letter was the greater argument than Swift’s, because he knew what his argumentative goal was, to get his audience on his side to show them what needed to be changed. From reading "A Modest Proposal" I felt that you had to dig out the goal that Swift was trying to prove. I also felt that Swifts audience did not find the sarcasm he was trying to get across.
In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King, Jr. uses a catalogue of personal experiences in order to appeal to the emotions of the reader, also called pathos, by utilizing concrete language, semicolons, and lengthy sentences. He not only entices the emotions of the fellow clergymen he is addressing, but also society in general, attempting to reveal the true situation of the oppressed Negroes during this time in the Civil Rights Movement.
Granted, both essays effectively implement both emotional and ethical appeal to the reader in order to be persuasive, and each, given the right conditions has the potential to be equally effective. But, given the conditions we are under, including the time frame, ("Civil Disobedience" was written over one hundred years before "Letter From a Birmingham Jail") King's essay, overall, features more of the characteristics, as well as the accessibility to produce a higher level of comprehension and relevance for the reader.
The Letter from Birmingham Jail was written in 1963 by Martin Luther King, Jr. During this period, the African Americans were involved in a battle for white and black equality. This is evident from the vocabulary used by King including “Negro” which was common during that period but not used commonly afterwards. Moreover, the letter’s context tells it argues that King wanted was African Americans to have freedom. The letter’s purpose is that King wants to persuade the clergymen what he together with his people were demonstrating since it was extremely necessary during that period. In achieving this, King utilizes persuasive and condemnatory tones so that the reader can consent with him. King Luther King, the author of Letter from Birmingham Jail, presents a valid argument through the use of ethos, pathos, and logos in the entire piece with the intention of explaining his actions and changing the audience’s opinions.
The “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” is a text directed to all of America in 1963, written by Martin Luther King Jr., during his stay in one of the of Birmingham’s prisons. His intention of writing an open letter was to tell the world the injustice “the white people” had done not only to him, but to all Afro-Americans. The main stimulus was a statement made by a Clergymen naming the actions and the activities of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as unwise and untimely. However, the purpose of this letter is to show that those actions are totally wise and timely.
When reading historical letters and or other types of reading materials, one cannot bear to become intrigued when reading these didactic and informative pieces of art. For example, one of the most known and most important pieces of historical masterpieces’ would have to be Martin Luther King’s “ Letter From Birmingham Jail.” This letter was written in response to the published statement that was written by eight fellow clergymen from Alabama. Those eight fellow Alabama clergymen were Bishop C.C.J. Carpenter, Bishop Joseph A. Durick, Rabbi Hilton L. Grafman, Bishop Paul Hardin, Bishop Holan B. Harmon, the Reverend George M. Murray, the Reverend Edward V. Ramage, and the Reverend Earl Stallings.
In Martin Luther King’s letter from Birmingham Jail, pathos, ethos, and logos are vividly expressed throughout it. All three rhetorical devices are vital to the meaning of the letter; the most influential being pathos. MLK takes advantage of the human body’s strong response to emotion. It is illustrated in his appeal to empathy, exercised mainly through gruesome depictions; his call for action to his peers, as shown when he expresses his disappointment in them as they preserve order over justice; and his strategic use of pathos as a supporting effort for both ethos and logos arguments.
The Letter from Birmingham Jail and I Have a Dream, have many similarities and differences between the two pieces. There are many similarities between I Have a Dream and the Letter from Birmingham Jail. Both of the pieces have many rhetorical appeals in common, whether it is pathos, logos, ethos or even repetition. In the speech, “I Have a Dream”, one pathos part that stood out the most was, “ I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. This quote is so emotional because it was not about what King wanted for himself but for his children, it also stands out because it makes the audience think about their children and how they wouldn’t want their kids going through what they were going through, which makes it even more important to put an end to racism.
A “Modest Proposal” is written by a man who had been exiled from England and forced to live among Irish citizens for many years during which he observed major problems in Ireland that needed a solution. The writer of this piece is Jonathan Swift, and in his proposal, “The Modest Proposal,” Swift purpose is to offer a possible solution to the growing problem of the homeless and poverty stricken women and children on the streets of Ireland. Swift adopts a caring tone in order to make his proposal sound reasonable to his audience, trying to convince them that he truly cares about the problems facing Ireland’s poor and that making the children of the poor readily available to the rich for entertainment and as a source of food would solve both the economic and social problems facing Ireland.
King's main thesis in writing the Birmingham letter is that, racial segregation, or injustice to the black American society, is due to the continuous encouragement of the white American society, particularly the powerful communities in politics and religions. King defends his primary thesis all throughout the length of his letter, and the arguments that he has made to prove that his thesis is true and valid will be the focus of this rhetorical analysis.
...dge. King uses his knowledge by gathering people with the same beliefs, to try to better the situations they were in. Douglass did not use his knowledge to the degree that was possible. He absorbed more knowledge instead of releasing it. So although the two readings look fairly similar when glanced over, there are many different aspects of both papers, that give them capability to give out knowledge and background on a subject that was very important to the authors.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the leader of a peaceful movement to end segregation in the United States this mission led him in 1963 to Birmingham, Alabama where officials and leaders in the community actively fought against desegregation. While performing sit-ins, marches and other nonviolent protests, King was imprisoned by authorities for violating the strict segregation laws. While imprisoned King wrote a letter entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, in which he expresses his disappointment in the clergy, officials, and people of Birmingham. This letter employed pathos to argue that the leaders and ‘heroes’ in Birmingham during the struggle were at fault or went against their beliefs.
In Conclusion, A Letter from a Birmingham Jail met its intended purpose to those of the audience being the clergymen and the reader today. Martin Luther King, Jr. has proven himself to the clergymen of Alabama, in regards to his reasoning for a more equal nation. The bottom line is that every man was created equally, so we should all have the same rights as the next person. In my own opinion, I think the letter was very necessary. These men of faith were more focused on what man thought rather than their creator's. This piece by King is very affective to the reader as well as the audience. It is evident that Martin Luther King, Jr. works went unnoticed, because we are living in a mixed racial society. The reader is very affected by the letter's history and how it came to be.