This use of parallel structure emphasizes how just and unjust laws can look deceptively similar. Right after that, he alludes to another American writing, the Declaration of. He proves his authority through his explanation of his experience as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia (King 232), and he emphasizes the importance of addressing the situation to him when he says, seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas, referring to the people of Birminghams resistance to the civil protests that he has been leading in Birmingham (King, Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. mentions the atrocities of racism and describes his endless battles against it. 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. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law." One example of parallelism he uses is, But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity (Barnet and Bedau 741). This audience is rhetorical as the social and political ideologies of the American people fuel democracy and are able to change the system around them through collective effort. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with moral law. 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. Additionally, as he confesses to the clergy, King employs antithesis to create a rational structure that fosters logos: I agree I cant agree; small in quantity big in quality and shattered dreams hope (521 & 524-525). 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. In paragraph 15 of his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Martin Luther King uses parallel structure to compare just and unjust laws. He said that one day we won 't have to worry about our skin color and segregation and that we 'll all come together as one. Lastly, the exigence of a rhetorical piece is the external issue, situation, or event in which the rhetoric is responding to. His writing is respectful and educated, if not naturally, to invalidate the use of his race against him by the largely prejudiced audience. He writes of his own problems that may apply to the daily struggles of the abused African, Parallelism In Speech From Birmingham Jail, Throughout the speech, another scheme King uses frequently is parallelism, the strategy of repeating similar clauses, several times. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. 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. While this fight had been raging for nearly 10 years, the release in 1963 was shortly followed by the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Later in the letter, parallelism is used to contrast just laws and unjust laws. 1963, a letter was written to the clergy to alert them of what great injustices were taking place in Birmingham, Alabama. In addition, King is also in Birmingham because he feels compelled to respond to injustice wherever he finds it. Recent flashcard sets. By clicking Receive Essay, you agree to our, Essay Sample on The Effects of the Atomic Bomb, Essay Sample: The Development of the Braille System in Nineteenth-Century France, Constitution of The United StatesResearch Paper Example, Hippies In The 1960's (Free Essay Sample), Positive And Negative Impacts Of The Columbian Exchange, Essay Sample on Early River Civilizations. 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. This special lyrical and parallel structure helped get his main points across and allows a large audience to understand simple but powerful words (Layfield) . Lincoln states, We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. What he says means that the soldiers lost their lives to give us freedom. " Any law that uplifts human personality is just." Note: All essays placed on IvyMoose.com are written by students who kindly donate their papers to us. Saying it that way magnifies the imperative difference between the two types of laws. One of the challenges that he faced included being criticized because of what he believed in concerning the laws of segregation. 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. When King was making his mark in American history, the United States was experiencing great social unrest due to the injustice towards their colored citizens, which would lead to social rights rallies and unnecessary violence. King has explained this through many examples of racial situations, factual and logical reasoning, and . 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 response, King emphasized that justice is never timely, and the refusal to acknowledge equal rights was inhumane and regressive. Martin Luther Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail addresses his fellow clergymen and others who critiqued him for his actions during this time. Furthermore, exterior events regarding the movement could ultimately reflect on his influence and polarize the audience further. He displays a great amount of pathos, logos, and ethos in his speech. Lloyd Bitzer describes rhetorical situation as, a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations presenting an actual or potential exigence which can be completely or partially removed if discourse, introduced into the situation, can so constrain human decision or action to bring about the significant modification of the exigence (6). From this revelation, the audience will also realize that it is no fault of the Negro that they have been left behind in contrast, modern society have been dragging them back through racism. In terms of legacies, Martin Luther King Jr. is an example of someone whose legacy has left an impact on a great many fields. This website uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Who was he truly writing for? When Dr. King first arrived in Birmingham, trouble occurred when he and fellow activists were . 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. Lines 14-43: King provides three different types of reasons in his letter to justify his presence in Birmingham: Organizational reasons, religious or historical reasons, and moral reasons. He deliberately tries to make the audience feel as if racial segregation is both wrong and against basic morals. 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. 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. Kings arguments induce an emotional response in his readers. Lloyd Bitzer describes rhetorical situation as, a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations presenting an actual or potential exigence which can be completely or partially removed if discourse, introduced into the situation, can so constrain human decision or action to bring about the significant modification of the exigence (6). King organized various non-violent demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that resulted in his arrest. Dr. King was considered the most prominent and persuasive man of The Civil Rights Movement. King writes the letter to defend his organization's actions and the letter is also an appeal to the people, both the white and black American society, the social, political, and religious community, and the whole of American society to encourage desegregation and encourage solidarity and equality among all Americans, with no stratifications according to racial differences. 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. King was the figurehead of the Civil Rights movement, infamous for his I Have a Dream speech and substantially impactful rhetoric promoting social and political change, peaceful indignation, and calls to awareness. 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. In each writing, he uses the devices for many different purposes. We believe that King states in the first sentence himself that he does not usually comment upon the criticism of his work. Besides the use of pathos, King uses repetition to enhance the effectiveness of his argument. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Both works utilizes the persuasive techniques of pathos in Dream and logos in Birmingham. Both of the works had a powerful message that brought faith to many. By addressing his respect for the clergymen, feigned or not, he is acknowledging the effectiveness of respect to those in power, whether they may or may not deserve it. To truly understand the effectiveness of this letter, one must rhetorically analyse the contents. 262). Example: Is not segregation an existential expression of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Consequently, King fabricates logos as he urges African-Americans to demand justice from their oppressors, an issue that directly affects everyone across the nation: not just those in specific areas. In his tear-jerking, mind-opening letter, King manages to completely discredit every claim made by the clergymen while keeping a polite and formal tone. 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 audiences logical side and urges African-Americans to act punctual in their fight against injustice, prompted by the imprudent words of the clergy. Bitzer, Lloyd F. The Rhetorical Situation. Philosophy & Rhetoric, vol. 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. King specifically wrote to the white clergymen who had earlier addressed a letter to him as to why he was apprehended, in which they argued that his actions were untimely and unconstitutional. 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. 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. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character. Dr. King uses his own words to describe what he wants the nation to look like in the future. King's main thesis in writing the Birmingham letter is that, racial segregation, or injustice to the black American society, is due to the continuous encouragement of the white American society, particularly the powerful communities in politics and religions. Any deadline. Constraints bring light to the obstacles this rhetoric may face, whether it be social, political, economical, etc. He wrote the letter in response to criticisms made by white clergymen. I am here because I have basic organizational ties here (King 1), after describing his involvement in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as president. 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. One example of Kings use of pathos appeals to the audiences emotions by showing Kings confidence in his endeavors. Both influential speeches rely heavily on rhetorical devices to convey their purpose. What King discloses in his essay, Letter From Birmingham Jail, displays how the laws of segregation have affected African-Americans. King strategically persuades. This letter serves as a purpose to apply the need for love and brotherhood towards one another and avoid all the unjust laws. As mentioned before, the social and political ideologies in America surrounding racial equity at this time, specifically in Birmingham, were extremely poor. 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. King does this in an effective and logical way. The clergymen along with others are addressed in an assertive tone allowing them to fully understand why his actions are justified. Order original paper now and save your time! He approaches his argument with logic and appealing to the people of Birminghams emotions. In this way, King asserts that African-Americans must act with jet-like speed to gain their independence. By using it, you accept our. The letter was written April third, 1963, it was published for the public in June of the same year, a slower spread than a nationwide address on television or radio. From the very beginning of it , King brings his crowd back to the origin of America when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, that freed all slaves and gave hope to the former slaves. Dr. King fought against segregation between Black Americans and White Americans. 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. The rhythm and frequent repetition are used to drive home his key points, stressing the importances of his goal. Firstly, and most daunting, is the constraint of the letters audience. The topic of Dr. Kings letters from a Birmingham prison is the nonviolent protest being done in Birmingham, Alabama in the fight for African Americans civil rights. 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. Analysing a rhetorical situation clarifies why a text was created, the purpose in which it was written, and why the author made specific choices while writing it. , 29 May 2019, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/letter-birmingham-jail. Martin Luther leading peaceful Birmingham protest, AP News. But the strongest influential device King used was pathos. Martin Luther King Jr. displays pathos by targeting the audiences emotion by talking about his American dream that could also be other peoples too. In the same manner, King believed that people could unite to combat oppression. 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. In Kings speech he. 114, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40236733. His use of diction and syntax would align his mission to Gods, and show that he was in the right and the clergymen were in the wrong. Parallelism, in the way King uses it, connects what seems like small problems to a larger issue. King implies that one day, all, I Have a Dream, however, played a major step into changing it. This period of quiet speculation over the law illuminates the national divide in opinion over the matter, one which King helped persuade positively. Bitzer, Lloyd F. The Rhetorical Situation.. In Martin Luther Kings Jr, Letter from Birmingham Jail the letter was a persuasive attempt to get Americans to finally see the inequality in the United States of America. 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. He evokes emotion on his audience by discussing the trials and injustice African Americans have endured. 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). "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" "United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. In order to properly convey his response to the questions proposed by the religious leaders of Birmingham, Dr. King uses it to draw comparisons which magnifies an idea, but it also commends one and disparages the other. " A just law is man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of the god. Throughout the Letter from Birmingham Jail, ethos, pathos, and logos are masterfully applied by Martin Luther King. Martin Luther King Jr. uses both logical and emotional appeals in order for all his listeners to be able to relate and contemplate his speeches. Order can only be held for so long whilst injustice is around. He opens with an explanation to his response, stating, Seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideasBut since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I would like to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms(King 1). What are some examples of parallelism in letter from Birmingham jail? Throughout the text, King utilized the values of his audience to gain sympathy and later on support. Just as well, King uses his aspirations to create ideas within the listeners. King establishes his position supported by historical and biblical allusions, counterarguments, and the use of rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos. Dr. King was the foremost civil rights leader in America in the 1950s and 1960s who was ordained minister and held a doctorate in theology. With the use of King's rhetorical devices, he described the ways of the Birmingham community and their beliefs, connected to the reader on an emotional level, and brought to light the overall issues dealing with segregation., The letter was ostensibly conceived in response to a letter that had recently run in a local newspaper which had claimed that the protest were "unwise and untimely." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail is a letter that illustrates oppression being a large battle fought in this generation and location. He had a great impact on race relations in the U.S. and he made a great impact on many lives. for only $11.00 $9.35/page. Jr., Martin Luther King. 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. Martin Luther Kings Letter From Birmingham Jail is undeniably effective at responding to the rhetorical situation at hand. His expressive language and use of argumentation make his case strong and convincing. Though this letter was intended for the judgemental and condescending men of high faith, his response touched the hearts and minds of the entire U.S. population, then, and for years to come. was initially the eight clergymen of Birmingham, all white and in positions of religious leadership. In sum, all rhetoric has an external situation in which it is responding to. 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. 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. 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. Not only does he use pathos to humanize himself, but he also uses it to humanize his immediate audience, the eight clergymen. But immediately after Dr. King speaks out on how after 100 years Blacks still do not have the free will that is deserved. 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). 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. All of this accumulates into an unwavering social constraint placed on Martin Luther Kings rhetorical text. Writers commonly use parallelism when there is a pair or a series of elements, or in the headlines or outlines of a document. Parallelism is useful to emphasize things and ideas to the audience, which, like all the other tropes and schemes. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. Parallelism is a literary device in itself, but it is also a category under which other figures of speech fall, such as those mentioned previously. Ralph Abernathy (center) and the Rev. His Letter from Birmingham Jail was the match. As he sits in a cell of Birmingham Jail in 1963, he responds to criticism from eight white clergymen. Therefore, as King fabricates antithetic parallelism, he constructs logos and persuades the audience to take prompt action against injustice through the careful juxtaposition of inverse statements. is undeniably effective at responding to the rhetorical situation at hand. 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. King intended for the entire nation to read it and react to it. A letter, as a medium, is constraining as there is one definitive original copy, it is addressed to a small specific group, and since it cannot be directly broadcasted widely, opposed to television or radio, it must be printed or passed along analogically. Through the masterful use of analogies and undeniable examples of injustice, Kings disgruntled response to the clergies proves the justification for direct action taking place to establish equality for African Americans., Martin Luther Kings letter from Birmingham Jail was written to respond to white religious leaders who criticized his organizations actions against racial prejudice and injustice among black society in Birmingham. 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. Letter to Birmingham Jail is a response to a group of Birmingham ministers who voiced negative comments and questioned the civil rights demonstrations Dr. King was leading in Birmingham. This wait has almost always meant never (King 2). He also wants the readers to realize that negroes are not to be mistreated and that the mistreatment of negroes could have severe implications as in a violent protest against the laws made by the court. He was able to further interact with the audience; they were able to hear his voice, listen to the intended tone behind his words, see his face, and study his demeanor in the face of adversary. 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. , vol. Dr. King was arrested, and put in jail in Birmingham where he wrote a letter to the clergymen telling them how long Blacks were supposed to wait for their God giving rights and not to be force and treated differently after, In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail from jail in Birmingham, Alabama in response to a public statement issued by eight white clergyman calling his actions unwise and untimely. 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. 1, no. While his supporters nation-wide were avid, determined, and hopeful, they were challenged by the opposing, vastly white population, comfortable in their segregated establishments and racist ideologies who would certainly weaponize his viewpoints. In addressing and confronting the problem of injustices among the black Americans in the American society, particularly the violence that had happened in Birmingham, and, Martin Luther King Jr. faced many challenges during his life. This is the beginning of King's point-by-point rebuttal of the criticisms leveled against him. Back then, people were ready to oppose unjust laws that were causing inequality and preventing progress. The way Dr. King constructs his argument is as if he was preaching his argument to his congregation. When teaching speeches and letters, it's helpful to refresh or introduce students to literary elements that enhance rhetorical strategies. Since Kings arrest he had time to think deeply about the situation; therefore, he decides to reply back to the Alabama clergymen. King is saying that if we allow injustice to happen in some places, we risk it happening to everyone. "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. They fought for what they believed in but in vastly different ways. Correspondingly, King urges the clergy to reconsider the horse-and-buggy pace of their methods of action through his logos. Prior to the mid 20th century, social injustice, by means of the Jim Crow laws, gave way to a disparity in the treatment of minorities, especially African Americans, when compared to Caucasians. IvyMoose is the largest stock of essay samples on lots of topics and for any discipline. 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. The letter goes on to explain his choice to act directly and nonviolently, stating, For years now I have heard the word wait. It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. Read along here: https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.htmlop audio here: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/lett. Civil rights leader and social activist Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a world renown correspondence, Letter From Birmingham Jail, in April of 1963, during a time when segregation was at its peak in the South. If your first two elements are verbs, the third element is usually a verb, too. MarkAHA. Although Dr. Kings exploits are revered today, he had opponents that disagreed with the tactics he employed. 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. To get a high-quality original essay, click here. You may use it as a guide or sample for writing your own . 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.