This anticipated change is big enough to make it into history books and influencing enough to get recognized by many people. Question 3 30 seconds Q. Does he provide relevant evidence? King justified the tactic of civil disobedience by stating that, just as the Bibles Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to obey Nebuchadnezzars unjust laws and colonists staged the Boston Tea Party, he refused to submit to laws and injunctions that were employed to uphold segregation and deny citizens their rights to peacefully assemble and protest. Please include all information in your posts. Therefore, by utilizing restraint, he earns a sympathetic ear to which he then declares his proud embrace of extremism and tension. He wrote this letter from his jail cell after him and several of his associates were arrested as they nonviolently protested segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. He uses such intense words in this short sentence that really just leaves a picture in your mind. Summary: "Letter from Birmingham Jail". The letter is reflective in tone and serves to catch both suppressed people and those who are exploiting them. King also uses serious logical arguments throughout his letter as well, his letter states the facts of the situation going on in front of them in a way the clergymen failed to do. He refutes each one of the clergymens statements, breaking it down and tearing it apart by intertwining the use of logos, pathos, and ethos. This final point in the letter returns to the present moment, where the police can abuse African Americans and still receive a commendation from leaders of the religious community. How did the leaders of the campaign respond to that injunction/ruling? The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. 1. His hope is that he will not only defend himself against the clergymen and white moderates in general, but also that he will encourage them to support his cause. SOAPSTone "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" - YouTube 0:00 / 6:59 Introduction SOAPSTone "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" Melanie Wilson 1 subscriber Subscribe Share 487 views 2. "Which statement" means that you have been provided with answer choices for your question. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . As the events of the Birmingham Campaign intensified on the citys streets, Martin Luther King, Jr., composed a letter from his prison cell in Birmingham in response to local religious leaders criticisms of the campaign: Never before have I written so long a letter. One day the South will recognize its real heroes.". He is informed about the crisis going on in Birmingham as he has a chapter in their state and was invited there to help fight the discrimination. The Question and Answer section for Letter From Birmingham Jail is a great Furthermore, King (1963) stated that African Americans have waited for long to gain their human rights. In the letter, King appeals for unity against racism in society, while he wants to fight for Human Rights, using ethos. what are two definitions of a just law, as given by MLK? The "letter of Birmingham Jail" was written by Martin Luther King on April 16, 1963. This Wait has almost always meant Never (King, Why, 83). MLK says I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes (King 283). Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection. He is clearly addressing people who represent the power class, but assumes in several arguments that they support the ideals of justice, at least on the surface. He backs up each of the clergymens arguments with logical evidence to his stand point on the topic. what is MLK's purpose in referring to Socrates? In his praise, King shows his confidence in the righteousness of his cause and his belief that while he may not see the end of segregation, he knows history will be on his side. to create economic pressure upon the community because of Easter shopping, they did not want to be accused of swaying results in the election. Not only is it wrong to use immoral means to achieve moral ends, but also "to use moral means to preserve immoral ends." $$ King presents a solid legal argument in this section, while still focusing on morality in a Christian context. King argues that the detention of members and the treatment given is against human rights. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the south, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (King 273). Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. After countering the charge that he was an outside agitator in the body of the letter, King sought to explain the value of a nonviolent campaign and its four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action (King, Why, 79). The body of Kings letter called into question the clergys charge of impatience on the part of the African American community and of the extreme level of the campaigns actions (White Clergymen Urge). King redefines and embraces the term extremist. Like the other extremists he lists, King believes that his cause will win out in the long run, and that he is on the right side of history. ", "You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws" to "I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws. Struggling with distance learning? how did MLK prepare people to protest in a non-violent way? Surname 4 more successful due to its confident feelings, verifiable realities, and, obviously, the valued author in Letter from Birmingham Jail. King began to write a response to clergymen's criticisms on the newspaper itself. Knowing that their fears and anxieties will predispose them to doubt his call to action, he presents the call through a variety of rational arguments and personal pathos. After stating the racial injustices that have been going on for too long he continues to logically reply to the question asked Why direct action? 2. $$ King argued that not only was civil disobedience justified in the face of unjust laws, but it was necessary and even patriotic. Letter From Birmingham Jail essays are academic essays for citation. According to King (1963), his presence in Birmingham meant that the situation of human rights was miserable there, and his arrest by local authorities proved his point. Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305. what is the role of the church, according to MLK? King also squeezed in a couple uplifting pathos reminding us of the beautiful opportunitys that await them. How does the Letter deal with the subject of race? Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Moreover, King is very reflective in his letter, adding emotional appeals after logical ones to deliver needed messages. This passage in the letter shows the clergymen the two different sides. In the same way, he has also made extensive use of pathos against white supremacy. birmingham jail answer key flashcards quizlet, making a change letter from birmingham jail newseumed, united 5 / 6. The use of ethos in the letter is very influential. 6. These connections help to build community with his critics: the protesters are also Americans and members of the church, and should not be viewed as enemies. what has happened to the some of the men from the church who have supported the civil rights movement and MLK? This excerpt is strong appealing to the emotions of parents as no mom or dad would ever want their kids to feel that pain and carry it with them. what does MLK hope will occur as a result of creating tension and a "crisis-packed" situation? Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/rhetorical-analysis-of-the-letter-of-birmingham-jail/. King also makes good use of pathos to trigger the emotions of readers. how does the letter end on a note of optimism? The use of pathos in the rhetorical analysis example can easily help people to understand the concept of emotional appeals. Audience Many people were upset with a letter written by eight white clergy men was written on April 12,1963. He acknowledges that the requirement of the permit is not an issue. By doing this he validates why his nonviolent protest is necessary for growth and to overcome the prejudices that were happening in Birmingham. Even when he becomes more confrontational in the letters second half, Dr. King is always deferential, offering the possibility that the clergymen sin from ignorance or error, thereby offering them a way to backtrack. Civil rights, political, and social activist, minister and spokesperson for nonviolent activism. Martin Luther Kings major claims in this letter are to bring forward the injustices that went on in Birmingham. I'm Amy, Please contact Intellectual Properties Management (IPM), the exclusive licensor of the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. [email protected] 404 526-8968. The clergymen disapproved of tensions created by public actions such as sit-ins and marches. Though he makes other subsumed distinctions (like the way just and unjust laws either punish or include minorities), this general definition serves to illustrate his overarching point: that laws are not separate from morality, but instead ought to be reflections of it. 3. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Through a variety of legally-structured arguments, Dr. King illustrates the fallacy of both these assumptions. He continues these connections all throughout his letter to further justify his actions, stating if these large political figures have done it in the past to voice their opinion and be heard than whats any different than him doing the same. According to him, the law that people must follow and the law that is used to arrest him are different, and it is simply a form of unjust law in action. His letter gives the philosophical foundations of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and does a good job by giving specific examples that appeal to logos, pathos, and ethos. King makes the situation of human rights clear. Alongside the more obvious threats of death, bodily harm, or imprisonment, African Americans suffer from more complex issues like financial uncertainty and a sense of inferiority. There was no other way to eliminate the problem, and the rhetorical analysis example proved that the use of rhetorical appeals could help in delivering such a message. The campaign began April 3, 1963, with coordinated marches and sit-ins against racism and racial segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Besides, King establishes himself as a man with trustworthiness by using ethos. While Rieders designations are perhaps too tight to be perfectly applicable, they do help to understand the overall progression of Letter from Birmingham Jail. At the beginning, Dr. King is playing a diplomat, attempting to reach a certain end through polite, restrained means. The letter from the Birmingham jail of Martin Luther King, Jr. He has many relatives in Birmingham. how does MLK feel about the white moderate? You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. And, I'm going to read an excerpt of it. Letter from Birmingham Jail: Background On April 12, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested. "So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. In Letter of Birmingham Jail MLK does just that. As he closes the letter by saying Let us hope in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty (King 284). In turn, King expected the intervention of authorities, given that he knew about the law. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. On. It is not morally wrong to disobey a law that pertains to one group of people differently than another. Letter From a Birmingham Jail, written by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963, describes a protest against his arrest for non-violent resistance to racism. myPerspectives: Grade 10, Volume 2 California Edition, myPerspectives: English Language Arts, Grade 7, myPerspectives: English Language Arts, California (Grade 9, Volume 1), myPerspectives: American Literature, California Volume 2. Some of his critics have described the protests as untimely, and suggested that the protesters wait for desegregation to happen on its own schedule. Martin Luther King first starts off his letter by using a strong ethos appeal, by establishing his credibility to the clergy men after they referenced him as an outsider coming in. He first addresses them by saying, My Dear Fellow Clergymen. By saying this MLK is considering him as one of them showing that he is no different and deserves the same respect as they would want to be given. Basically, King is in jail because of his visions on how people should live to develop a normal community. they must break with willingness to accept the penalty, give three examples of historical civil disobedience from his letter. Identify the type of argument, and determine its validity with a Venn diagram. MLK wonders about the churches and why theyre not trying to help the black community in their struggle and support their movement, as Christians use to have moral and ethical power. why did MLK decide to respond to the published statement by eight of his fellow clergymen? If nothing else, Letter from Birmingham Jail is a masterpiece of pointed passive aggression. Why is it important Dr. King make this distinction? Hence, this example can be a good rhetorical analysis sample for further learning on how to write such papers on any literary works. Segregation was still a part of the culture in the United States. Let Your People Speak Premise: $\qquad$ If we can put a man on the Moon, we can build a computer operating system that works. ", I must make two honest confessions. through now this approach is being termed extremist., But though I was initially disappointed through embodied in our echoing demands., Read the Study Guide for Letter From Birmingham Jail, Rhetorical Analysis of Letter From a Birmingham Jail, We Are in This Together: Comparing "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and "Sonny's Blues", Fighting Inequality with the Past: A Look into "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and Related Historical Documents, A Question of Appeal: Rhetorical Analysis of Malcolm X and MLK, View our essays for Letter From Birmingham Jail, Introduction to Letter From Birmingham Jail, View the lesson plan for Letter From Birmingham Jail, View Wikipedia Entries for Letter From Birmingham Jail. King faced criticism by a group of clergymen for being in Birmingham. His difficult arguments end up practically unimpeachable precisely because he has presented them through logos as well as through pathos. A. Retrieved from https://newrepublic.com/article/112952/martin-luther-king-jrs-letter-birmingham-jail-fifty-years-later. The letter of Birmingham Jail was written by Martin Luther King on April 16, 1963. However, because he stipulates that his audience is ostensibly interested in the virtue of justice, he argues that moderation allows them license to live in a sinfulness of inaction. He now commends some of the white people who have supported the cause of racial equality in even the smallest ways, such as the Reverend Stallings. collection of facts to see if injustice exists. Refine any search. The Institute cannot give permission to use or reproduce any of the writings, statements, or images of Martin Luther King, Jr. what two forces within the black community has MLK tried to stand between? Prepare a production cost report for the Sealing Department for April. We will write a custom Essay on "Letter from Birmingham Jail" Rhetorical Analysis Essay specifically for you. In what ways does the Letter attack the clergymen even when being outwardly deferential towards them? How did direct action in Birmingham, according to King, develop over time? \text{Balance, Mar. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers? (King, Why, 9495). We are . did not submit to unjust laws. b.