Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. is a rational and honest response of the leader of the anti-segregation movement in the 60s to church representatives who criticized the peaceful protest in Birmingham. The letter is very detailed and long, and the author himself notes that it looks like a book (King, p. 10). However, its size is an advantage as King has consistently and convincingly responded to criticism of the activity of his organization. In the beginning, the author explains that a peaceful action in Birmingham was thoughtful and inevitable. The refusal of local authorities to respect the rights of black people, enter into negotiations and fulfill their promises forced opponents of segregation to come on the streets to claim their rights (King, pp. 2-3). The author also talks about the humiliation and injustice towards colored people that force them to act, therefore calling the protest “untimely” is also unfair (King, pp. 3-4). The author also speaks of justice and injustice laws and police brutality towards blacks to show the inequity of the world in which they live.
This letter is an excellent source for studying the events of the struggle against segregation, as well as American society and its attitudes before its abolition. In addition to scientific and historical facts, the letter has many emotional, even, and touching moments that can be used in political speeches today. Consequently, the value of King’s writing for history, politics, social justice, and equality cannot be overestimated.
Rhetorical Analysis
Martin Luther King’s letter is an example of literature that is designed to awaken people’s feelings, show the truth, and inspire society to act. Although formally, the letter was intended as an answer to the clergymen, it had an open form and was published; therefore, it was accessible to a broad audience. For rhetorical analysis, the letter of King has all the elements to achieve the goal of writing it, namely to demonstrate the injustice of segregation and achieve its abolition.
Even though the format of the letter implies a limited audience, its publication allowed it to convey ideas to a wider public. Thus, while reading the letter, it seems that Martin Luther addresses only a few people, his words are intended for all representatives of the authorities and religion, white and people of color who should understand and see the meaning of the struggle against segregation. For this purpose, the author used references to religion and science, routine situations, and impressive facts to explain his ideas and beliefs.
Consequently, King’s letter has arguments and statements that relate to such rhetorical elements as ethos, logos, and pathos. The first element of the ethos is expressed between the lines since the very fact that the author is in prison for participating and organizing a peaceful demonstration shows his personal and unfair experience. The story of the negotiations with the authorities and entrepreneurs of Birmingham, their unrestrained promises, and arrests are vivid and convincing passages showing the author’s personal experience and forcing readers to believe his words (King, p. 2). Consequently, the very personality of King, as well as his stories, are one of the convincing elements of writing.
Moreover, the letter is filled with logical ideas and references to famous religious and scientific works, which emphasize the author’s arguments. For example, King talks about the spread of Christianity, the first representatives of which were also called “outside agitators” and “disturbers of the peace” (p. 8). However, they continued to spread their ideas with faith in God, and Christianity became a world religion. The author also uses convincing arguments in the discussion of justice and injustice laws. King uses the words of St. Augustine, Martin Buber, and St. Thomas Aquinas to emphasize that the laws they violate are unfair and must be eliminated (p. 4). At the same time, the author underlines with Christian patience that he is ready to suffer punishment, which only emphasizes the injustice of society. Thus, these passages, along with many others, demonstrate the rationality and logic of King’s ideas reinforced by his personal experience.
However, despite the logic and rationality of the arguments, passages addressing the feelings of readers also have a significant impact. For example, a touching paragraph is King’s thoughts on the oppression and segregation of black people who are deprived of universal human rights due to unjust laws (pp. 3-4). He talks about the violence and beatings, the humiliation of human dignity by such labels as “nigger” or “boy,” as well as the pain experienced by the children uto nderstand that they cannot have what the white children have (King, pp. 3-4). Such examples are intended to arouse the sympathy and indignation of readers and to explain the cause of the struggle. Another emotional passage is a story about the beating and intimidation of older men and women in prisons, forbiddance of food, and the desire to sing a prayer (King, p. 9). In addition, all expression about religion has an emotional connotation as they appeal to faith and mercy. Therefore, the pathos in the letter of King is central, although arguments and logic are also critical elements.
In conclusion, King’s letter is an example of a work that has all the elements to be convincing and meaningful to society and its history. Personal experience, logical arguments, and emotional aspects of writing show the acts of King and other participants in the anti-racist movement as a rational decision but not a fanatical faith. In addition, in each paragraph, the reader sees the author’s sincerity and confidence in his beliefs, which is aimed at conveying a peaceful but decisive mood and inspires society to change.
References
King, Jr., Martin Luther. Letter from Birmingham Jail [PDF]. 1963.