In the turbulent era of the 1960s, the United States grappled with the civil rights movement, which goal was to fight against segregation and establish equal rights for African Americans. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister and community leader who was a devoted Christian and promoted nonviolent methods of struggle, was one of the movement’s prominent leaders. Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is a compelling response to the criticism he faced from fellow clergymen for his participation in nonviolent demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr wrote “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” because he wanted to gain understanding and support from the public and respond to his opponents.
In response to criticism from clergymen, Dr. King clarified his visit to Birmingham due to an invitation from local organizations and argued that he had a moral obligation to fight racial injustice wherever it occurred. Throughout the Letter, he employs the rhetorical devices of ethos, pathos, and logos to communicate his message effectively. Dr. King writes in plain language that is understandable to the general public and avoids using specialized terms. The goal of Dr. King’s Letter is to persuade the general public, so it is crucial to assess the rhetorical strategies that were used in order to comprehend the work’s effectiveness.
In the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King adeptly employs ethos, pathos, and logos to strengthen his argument and appeal to a broad audience. Ethos, the appeal to credibility and authority, is evident in how Dr. King establishes himself as a respectable figure. He justifies his presence in Birmingham by stating, “I am in Birmingham because injustice is here” (King, 1963). Furthermore, Dr. King underscores his role as a spiritual leader by referencing the Apostle Paul, “Just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my hometown” (King, 1963). Referring to the Bible is one of the most effective ways to appeal to ethos, and Martin Luther successfully used this technique. In general, the work makes many references to authoritative figures like Thomas Aquinas, Martin Buber, and Socrates.
Pathos, the appeal to emotion, is skillfully woven into the Letter as Dr. King shares personal experiences and vivid examples of the daily indignities suffered by African Americans. He writes, “When you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park” (King, 1963). It evokes strong emotions in the reader, fostering a sense of empathy and urging action against racial discrimination.
Finally, Dr. King’s methodical deconstruction of his critics’ arguments serves as an example of logos, the appeal to logic and reason. He provides a cogent justification for the use of nonviolent direct action and a logical timeline for the civil rights movement: “You may well ask: ‘Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches, and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?’ You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue” (King, 1963). Through this effective combination of rhetorical strategies, Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” not only defends his actions but also serves as a timeless call for justice and equality. He uses facts very accurately, gives the date and details of historical occurrences, and references sources by crediting the writers of quotations.
If analyzing Luther’s work by correlating the three components of rhetoric, then the author uses logos most frequently and most successfully. Luther uses the strategy of outlining the potential objections of opponents and immediately gives his counterarguments. For example, he writes, “In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they are precipitation violence” (King, 1963). He then emphasizes the need to support the methods used by the anti-racist movement activists.
In an effort to appeal to ethos, Luther makes many references. However, the use of this technique can only be declared partially successful since those personalities mentioned by the author are known only in elect intellectual circles. As previously mentioned, the only practical reference in work is to the Bible, but quoting philosophers does not have the desired impact on the general public. The decision to select such individuals can be explained by the fact that there were essentially no allies of anti-racist movements among the famous people at the time. Therefore, Luther was forced to appeal to enduring human values and the writers who defended them.
The authors did not extensively use pathos because Luther’s writing is more rational than emotional. Luther spoke less about the general plight of African Americans and more about the challenges activists faced in pursuing their rights. The target audience, those who do not support the movement, is not well served by such tactics to evoke strong feelings in them. However, when Luther did use a pathos appeal, he did so by relating to children, which was the most effective strategy. For example, he writes, “when you have to concoct an answer for a five year old son who is asking:” Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?” (King, 1963). Luther could have illustrated the suffering of African-American children more frequently and drawn comparisons to white children to make the audience feel more emotions to increase the pathos effect.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. originally intended the Letter he wrote while detained in Birmingham to address opposition to the anti-racist movement. The ultimate objective was to change the hostile public opinion toward Dr. King while also gaining new allies. If the Letter had the desired impact, most people in the US—regardless of their skin tone—would stand to defend African Americans and oppose segregation laws. This would lead to a government change or reforms resulting in equality in society.
In conclusion, dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work was crucial to African Americans at the time and continues to be an essential text today. Moreover, the Letter has also become a valuable resource for ideas about freedom and human rights. To accomplish his objective and influence public opinion regarding racism, the author skillfully employed rhetorical strategies like pathos, ethos, and logos. The Letter is distinguished for its logicalness, the inclusion of numerous historical facts, the use of theoretical information about the protests, and arguments for the effectiveness of the anti-racist movement’s strategy.
Reference
King, M. L. (1963). Letter from a Birmingham Jail. African Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania. Web.