MLK, Jr. Rhetorical Analysis

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” should be considered one of the greatest rhetorical acts in World History. His purpose in this letter is to respond to the questions of the eight clergymen and while doing this he encourages others to stand up for what is just and moral to bring peace to everyone in the world. He uses rhetorical appeals to make his speech more grabbing and appealing to the reader. His use of pathos shows that he is not encouraging anyone to break the laws because “that would lead to anarchy.” He states that someone wanting to break an unjust law “must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.” He knows from experience that if he wants to make a stand, he will have to face the consequence of spending time in jail. He does a great job of appealing to the reader’s emotions and influencing them to make a stand. He is a man of great knowledge and he knows that a nonviolent campaign is the best option they have. His proof for this comes through an example of logos when he states that “nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.” King is right when he says this because the United States cannot keep ignoring the cry of the African Americans because all of their efforts to restore peace have been in total moral and truthful ways. His use of logos uses factual information and informed opinions to make his point. King also confesses how he has been “gravely disappointed with the white moderate” over the past few years. He uses ethos to show his appreciation for Reverend Stallings “for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negros to your worship service on a nonsegregated basis.” He does a great job in recognizing the good that some Americans had done to include the African Americans and try to put an end to this problem. He does not totally bash every white person like most people would have. He keeps a moderate tone with a very urgent voice for equal rights. This letter is so well constructed that no person with any morals can say that segregation needs to continue. The African Americans are no different than any other person and they deserve to be treated with respect like any other person. He also states that they have “waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. “ King is a well educated man who knows how to use his knowledge to successfully back up his stand. He points out that other nations are moving with “jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.” This is crazy to think that the United States of American is so far behind other countries because we are so advanced in other areas such as technology but cannot seem to find a way for equal rights between our citizens. As you can see, King’s essay uses such great examples that it can be considered one of the best pieces of literature in World History.