similes, metaphors, and imagery are all used to make the letter more appealing to the audiences they make the letter more descriptive while making you focus on one issue at a time. The constraints surrounding Martin Luther Kings rhetorical situation include the audience, the rhetorical exigence of the situation he is responding to, Dr. King himself, and the medium, all of which are deeply connected. King addressed these communities as the primary groups wherein racial segregation is continuously proliferated (the white American political and religious community) and points much of his arguments to and for his fellow black Americans in the society. The main argument Dr. King is making in the letter is the protest being done in Birmingham is "wise" and most important "timely". This comes to endanger our entire society. Its important to note that his initial readers/supporters greatly impacted the scope of his audience, spreading the letter through handouts, flyers, and press, in the hopes that others would be impacted for the better by the weight of the exigence at hand. In the same manner, King believed that people could unite to combat oppression. Martin Luther King Jr. writes his letter while being held in Birmingham Jail after being arrested for participating, in a non-violent anti segregation march. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. During the era of the civil rights movements in the 60s, among the segregation, racism, and injustice against the blacks, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial to deliver one of the greatest public speeches for freedom in that decade. Who was he truly writing for? He hopes that "[o]ne day the South will know that [the Negroes] were in reality standing up for the best in the American dream" (47), and that "the evil system of segregation" (46) will come to an end. Early in his speech, King writes riches of freedom and security of justice and then justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. In these two examples, King is using parallelism to express that the African American wants justice and freedom by repeating them next to each other and mentally connecting them in the readers mind, which is also connected with pathos as the terms King uses subtly emphasize those words and create good feelings in the reader. The eight clergymen in Birmingham released a public statement of caution regarding the protesters actions as unwise and untimely (King 1), to which Martins letter is a direct response. Both influential speeches rely heavily on rhetorical devices to convey their purpose. Letter from a Birmingham Jail AP.GOPO: PRD1.A (LO) , PRD1.A.2 (EK) Google Classroom Full text of "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. 16 April 1963 My Dear Fellow Clergymen: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." With this addressed, his audience was truly the population of the United States, especially Birmingham, with a focus on those who withheld and complied with the oppression of African American citizens, even if not intentionally. Any subject. parallelism really etches into the audience's mind the seemingly never-ending hardships blacks face and the repetition makes it seem like a regular routine they endure. Not only was this a social division, but those who opposed King were reinforced by the respective legislature that sought to burden him. This website uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Dr. Kings goal of this letter was to draw attention to the injustice of segregation, and to defend his tactics for achieving justice. The concept of parallelism in letters from birmingham jail by martin luther king jr.. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-concept-of-parallelism-in-letters-from-birmingham-jail-by-martin-luther-king-jr-Q1aX8ugT Be sure to capitalize proper nouns (e.g. It was important for King to address this audience as their support would ultimately make the largest difference in the movement. As King disproves the arguments of the white clergymen, he utilizes antithesis to create logos; furthermore, he calls the reader to take action against injustice across the nation. . That sentence magnifies the fact that good people doing nothing is the same as bad people purposely hindering civil rights. The letter is a plea to both white and black Americans to encourage desegregation and to encourage equality among all Americans, both black and white, along all social, political and religious ranks, clearly stating that there should be no levels of equality based upon racial differences., In Letter from Birmingham Jail, author Martin Luther King Jr. confirms the fact that human rights must take precedence over unjust laws. Kings goes on to say how racial equality can not be achieved until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream (King). In addition, King is also in Birmingham because he feels compelled to respond to injustice wherever he finds it. To minimize the possibility of being deemed invalid due to his race, he must choose what he states and how he states it very precisely which correlates to the constraints Martin Luther himself has on his rhetorical situation. I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. In the Gettysburg Address Lincoln talks about how people fought the war and how people should honor their soldiers. While the Civil Rights movement superseded the dismantling of Jim Crow, the social ideologies and lackadaisical legislature behind anti-black prejudice continued to rack the country far into the 1960s. Parallelism In Letters From Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos and parallelism frequently throughout Letters from Birmingham Jail, to persuade the clergyman to support his actions in the civil rights movement. His writing is respectful and educated, if not naturally, to invalidate the use of his race against him by the largely prejudiced audience. He had a great impact on race relations in the U.S. and he made a great impact on many lives. As the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s unfolded, Martin Luther King Jr. had, perhaps, the most encompassing and personal rhetorical situation to face in American history. He uses rhetorical devices such as repetition, analogy, and rhetorical questions. By stating the obvious point and implying that moderates act as though this was not true, he accuses them of both hypocrisy and injustice. Consequently, Birmingham became the core of the Civil Rights movement, pumping the life-blood of social change into the rest of the country. Take for instance when the part of the letter when Dr. King talks about different men, both biblical, Martin Luther King Jr.s goal in Letter From Birmingham Jail is to convince the people of Birmingham that they should support civil disobedience and the eventual end to the segregation laws in Birmingham. In both of these writings Dr. King uses logos - logical persuasion - and pathos - emotional appeal - to change the opinions of people who were for segregation and against civil rights. Throughout the essay, King uses several powerful tones to complement his strong opinion, Martin Luther King Jrs Letter from Birmingham Jail is one his many writings on segregation and racial inequality towards blacks in the southern American states. At this time, he is representative of the Black American population and the Civil Rights Movement as a whole he is Martin Luther King Jr., and while this is a powerful position to occupy, the constraints imposed are just as dominant. Constraints bring light to the obstacles this rhetoric may face, whether it be social, political, economical, etc. Constraints bring light to the obstacles this rhetoric may face, whether it be social, political, economical, etc. There are three main considerations to make while analysing a rhetorical situation: the constraints, the exigence, and the audience. During this period in the 1960s, King was disappointed by the way the white clergy was not in support of the religious civil rights movement and Kings goal of equality as a whole. In "Letter from Birmingham Jail", King typically uses repetition in the form of anaphora - repeating the same word (s) at the beginning of consecutive clauses. Despite this, the clergy never questions whether or not segregation is unjust. Fred Shuttlesworth, defied an injunction against protesting on Good Friday in 1963. 100% plagiarism free, Orders: 11 In the letter "Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. writes to the Clergyman to express his idea on the racial discrimination and injustice going on in Birmingham Alabama. the exigence is the continued condemnation, segregation, and prejudice afflicted against African Americans since the emancipation of the slaves in 1863. First, King writes that the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. This antithesis makes the audience realize that the Negroes have been left behind and ignored while the rest of modern society has charged forward into prosperity and fortune. King through this letter tries to express his, "Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail, which was written in April 16, 1963, is a passionate letter that addresses and responds to the issue and criticism that a group of white clergymen had thrown at him and his pro- black American organization about his and his organization's non- violent demonstrative actions against racial prejudice and injustice among black Americans in Birmingham. Firstly, and most daunting, is the constraint of the letters audience. Kings use of pathos gives him the ability to encourage his fellow civil rights activists, evoke empathy in white conservatives, and allow the eight clergymen and the rest of his national audience to feel compassion towards the issue. Note: All essays placed on IvyMoose.com are written by students who kindly donate their papers to us. King is saying that if we allow injustice to happen in some places, we risk it happening to everyone. In Letter From Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King responds to the subjectivity of law and the issue he paramounts by using precise and impactful rhetoric from inside of his jail cell. Letter from Birmingham Jail; McAuley ELA I HON. The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was written by the African American hero Dr. Martin Luther King in Birmingham back in 1963, addressing the issues that the African Americans faced back in that time. The biases of the audience go hand in hand with the rhetorical exigence of this letter, another large constraint in the effectiveness of his message. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were both two African American civil rights activists who were very prominent throughout history. In parallel structure, a writer repeats the same pattern of words or/and pattern of grammatical structure. An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: there are just laws, and there are unjust laws Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Correspondingly, King urges the clergy to reconsider the horse-and-buggy pace of their methods of action through his logos. Several clergy who negatively critiqued Kings approach of seeking justice, wrote A Call for Unity, arguing that his protests were senseless and improper. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere!" "A Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Analysis. By using it, you accept our. While in solitary confinement for nearly 8 days, reverend and social justice activist, Martin Luther King Jr., wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to the criticism he received for his non-violent protests. King was jailed along with large numbers of his supporters, including hundreds of schoolchildren. King does this in an effective and logical way. He uses parallelism by repeating I had hoped to ironically accuse his attackers. 1963, a letter was written to the clergy to alert them of what great injustices were taking place in Birmingham, Alabama. How does this comparison appropriately justify. Martin Luther found himself arrested on the twelfth of April 1963 after leading a peaceful protest throughout Birmingham, Alabama after he defied a state courts injunction and led a march of black protesters without a permit, urging an Easter boycott of white-owned stores (Jr., Martin Luther King). In "Letter from Birmingham Jail", King implements antithesis -- along with his background as a minister -- to demonstrate the hypocrisy of the Southern clergymen, as he attempts to further diverge the two diametric rationales; thus, he creates logos as he appeals to the audience's logical side and urges African-Americans to act punctual in their Martin Luther in Birmingham Jail, The Atlantic. When teaching speeches and letters, it's helpful to refresh or introduce students to literary elements that enhance rhetorical strategies. Parallelism is useful to emphasize things and ideas to the audience, which, like all the other tropes and schemes. Magnifying the differences between two things and repeating statements with similar structure brings about emotion to realize the wrongness of the injustice of civil. However, Martin Luther King Jr is an extremely influential figure in the field of oration and rhetoric. This helps King focus on the differences between them. The eight clergymen in Birmingham released a public statement of caution regarding the protesters actions as unwise and untimely (King 1), to which Martins letter is a direct response. However, this constraint did not ultimately halt the spread of Kings message nation-wide, as it became a persuasive landmark of the civil rights movement, likely due to both his impactful position and persuasive use of rhetoric. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and, Martin Luther King Jr. was a strong leader in the Civil Rights movement, the son and grandson of a minister, and one heck of a letter writer. Any deadline. Parallelism takes many forms in literature, such as anaphora, antithesis, asyndeton, epistrophe, etc. For example, to use parallelism in a sentence in which you list a series of elements, each element typically has the same form. In Martin Luther King Jrs I Have a Dream speech he effectively uses ethos, diction and powerful metaphors to express the brutality endured by African American people. While there were consistent and impactful efforts made by various groups for equality throughout the civil rights era, the proximity between the public release of the letter, found nation-wide by late 1963, and the passing of the Civil Rights Act in early July 1964 shows the direct impact the letter had on social attitudes following its publicization. At the time, Birmingham was one of the harshest places to live in America for African Americans; white supremacy groups would set off bombs to instill fear in the black community and withhold racial integration, and peaceful protests and sit-ins were met with unjustifiable police violence, in addition to the suffocating social qualms surrounding the black community (Eskew). Dr. King often used repetition and parallel construction to great emotional effect when he spoke. Right after that, he alludes to another American writing, the Declaration of. In his letter King effectively manipulates language and tone to strengthen his argument against the complaints of the clergyman and successfully address the white people. His expressive language and use of argumentation make his case strong and convincing. As he sits in a cell of Birmingham Jail in 1963, he responds to criticism from eight white clergymen. Martin Luther King then goes on to make an analogy to the Bible, portraying Apostle Pauls proliferation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in parallel to his own efforts, stating, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular hometown (1). These two techniques played a crucial role in furthering his purpose and in provoking a powerful response from the audience that made this speech memorable and awe-inspiring. Later in the letter, parallelism is used to contrast just laws and unjust laws. In order to do this, Martin Luther King uses several techniques in paragraph thirteen and fourteen of his letter such as repetition, personification, as well as allusion, to support his claim that racial unity has taken too long. Another instance of parallelism in the letter is, We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people(Barnet and Bedau 745). In response to Kings peaceful protesting, the white community viewed [his] nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist, and subsequently imprisoned the pastor (para 27). Martin Luther utilizes powerful rhetoric to define his exigence. This special lyrical and parallel structure helped get his main points across and allows a large audience to understand simple but powerful words (Layfield) . Active Themes. Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail. It is rather for us to be here, As it may do that, it also seems to serve more of a logical appeal because he mentions the evidence of white brotherhood. In the letter, Dr. King uses ethos, diction, and allusions when defending nonviolent protest which makes his argument really strong. Being nearly symbolic, King being held prisoner in Birmingham, the most polar racial arena of the United States, made his rhetoric more effective. King uses pathos to invoke anger, sympathy and empathy, his impeccable use of logos makes his argument rational to everyone, and his use of ethos, especially the use of biblical references, makes his opinions more reliable. Example: Is not segregation an existential expression of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Although King was arrested for a nonviolent protest, he still found a way to justify his actions with the use of logos and pathos. His Letter from Birmingham Jail was the match. This use of parallelism draws on the emotions of personal experiences to persuade that segregation is a problem in a myriad of ways. As a black man and pacifist-forward figurehead of the Civil Rights movement, the way Martin Luther is perceived is mostly dictated by preconceived biases and is rampant, widespread, and polarized. During a civil resistance campaign in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. King was arrested. These circumstances lead us to our next rhetorical focus: audience. He is a firm believer that Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere (262). To summarize, Martin Luther Kings rhetoric is effective and ultimately changed the course of the Civil Rights movement for the better. In this example, King manufactures logos through the creation of antithetic parallelism, as the structure of his essay provides justification for his argument against the postponement of justice. Therefore this makes people see racism in a whole new light; racism has not been justified because the United States have failed to uphold their promises. This letter serves as a purpose to apply the need for love and brotherhood towards one another and avoid all the unjust laws. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America till the Negro is granted his citizenship rights (King pg. In Letter From Birmingham Jail, the exigence is the continued condemnation, segregation, and prejudice afflicted against African Americans since the emancipation of the slaves in 1863. In the "Letter from Birmingham Jail", written by Martin Luther King Jr., King delivers a well structured response to eight clergymen who had accused him of misuse of the law. All of these factors influence each other to shape rhetoric, which Bitzer describes as, pragmatic; it comes into existence for the sake of something beyond itself (3), with Martin Luther Kings Letter From Birmingham Jail being a shining example. 25 terms. In short, Martin Luther King Jr. includes rhetorical devices in his writing. The Letter from Birmingham Jail addresses many problems, including the slow action occuring to stop racial discrimination. Although Kings reply was addressed to the Alabama clergyman, its target audience was the white people. On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a famous speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and freedom, this speech was called I have a dream. This speech was focused on ending racism and equal rights for African Americans during the civil rights movement. He approaches his argument with logic and appealing to the people of Birminghams emotions. Yes he does criticize the white clergymen but basically he is trying to tell them that they should stop this segregation and that the black are not to be mistreated. Here, King concedes that the clergy acts with the virtuous goal of justice in mind, which allows him to establish his argument against the manner in which they seek equality. Parallelism, in the way King uses it, connects what seems like small problems to a larger issue. They fought for what they believed in but in vastly different ways. King uses tone, literal and figurative language to establish structure and language in his letter. King concludes with optimism about the future of the relationship between the currently segregated blacks and whites. and may encompass the audience, as seen while analysing, The audience of a rhetorical piece will shape the rhetoric the author uses in order to appeal, brazen, or educate whoever is exposed. These encompass his exigence, at its most simple and precise, and validify the importance behind transforming the country in a positive way. Introduction. King had been arrested while participating in a peaceful anti-segregation march although several local religious groups counted on King for support. The rhetorical choices referenced above are riddled with pathos, also known as language utilized to persuade the audience emotionally. Dr. In paragraph 15 of his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Martin Luther King uses. King organized various non-violent demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that resulted in his arrest. Macbeth) in the essay title portion of your citation. Repetitions help the writer give structure to his arguments and highlight important aspects. He hopes that this letter will stop this injustice matter, and show what the African American desire. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with moral law. He writes how the white church is often disappointed in the African Americans lack of patience and how they are quick to be willing to break laws. However, in the months that followed, Kings powerful words were distributed to the public through civil rights committees, the press, and was even read in testimony before Congress (Letter from Birmingham Jail), taking the country by storm. However, they each have different ideas about freedom, and about what they want their audience to do.
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