He wants the clergyman to realize that what they believe and think is wrong. He uses the rhetorical appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos numerous times throughout his essay to relay his argument about the laws of segregation and the African-Americans that are being cruelly treated.. In parallel structure, a writer repeats the same pattern of words or/and pattern of grammatical structure. Martin Luther King Jr., with the Rev. 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. Since Kings arrest he had time to think deeply about the situation; therefore, he decides to reply back to the Alabama clergymen. With his respectful nature, humility, compassion, optimism, and determination, King responded to a group of white Alabama clergymen who had condemned the civil rights protests as extreme in their open letter, A Call for Unity. Although his letter was directed towards a small group of eight men, his words eventually reached the minds and hearts of the entire country. Letter From Birmingham Jail and use of Parallel Structure and Anaphora Kirtan Patel Chapter 25 Chapter 24 Parallel Structure- repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. In short, Martin Luther King Jr. includes rhetorical devices in his writing. Furthermore the Kings parallel structure clarifies and highlights his intent by building up to a more important point. He seeks to make them see the logic behind their protesting and make them feel ashamed and embarrassed by the way that they have been treating the African Americans. Furthermore, exterior events regarding the movement could ultimately reflect on his influence and polarize the audience further. His Letter from Birmingham Jail was the match. African Americans have been waiting to have there civil rights of freedom, but the social courts has requested them not protest on the street but to take it to court. Who was he truly writing for? Who had criticize Martin Luther King because he was simply doing something that was right and violence was not needed for King. 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. 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. Active Themes. 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. Martin Luther utilizes powerful rhetoric to define his exigence. 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 Kings arguments induce an emotional response in his readers. Yet his most important method of reaching his audience, and conveying his enduring message of equality and freedom for the whole nation was his appeal to pathos. Both lincolns Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech are similar in that they both express the concept of freedom to achieve their purpose. Although Dr. Kings exploits are revered today, he had opponents that disagreed with the tactics he employed. Although the letter was addressed to the eight clergymen, the Letter from Birmingham Jail speaks to a national audience. King's letter from Birmingham Jail addresses the American society, particularly the political and religious community of the American society. In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. While this fight had been raging for nearly 10 years, the release in 1963 was shortly followed by the Civil Rights Act in 1964. 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. An Unjust Law Is No Law At All: Excerpts from "Letter from Birmingham Jail" Dr. King was considered the most prominent and persuasive man of The Civil Rights Movement. 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). 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. The continuous mistreatment of African Americans for over a century was, at last, deeply questioned and challenged nationwide with the growing popularity of the Civil Rights movement, and the topic of equality for all had divided the country. This is the beginning of King's point-by-point rebuttal of the criticisms leveled against him. Martin Luther King Jr. was born to a middle class family and was well educated. These circumstances lead us to our next rhetorical focus: audience. In this example, King implements logos to create a cohesive argument that appeals to the rational side of his audience: Southern clergymen. He begins strongly by explaining why he is in Birmingham in the first place, stating, So I am herebecause we were invited here. Pathos are present more often in the I Have A Dream speech, mainly because he is bravely facing a crowd, speaking from the heart, rather than formality. Malcolm X, on the other hand, grew up in a rather hostile environment with barely enough schooling. There isn't quite as much of that in "Letter From Birmingham Jail," but it still pops up a couple of times. 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. He does an exceptional job using both these appeals throughout his speeches by backing up his emotional appeals with logical ones. The Concept of Parallelism in Letters from Birmingham Jail by - Kibin 808 certified writers . Dr. King fought against segregation between Black Americans and White Americans. Although Kings reply was addressed to the Alabama clergyman, its target audience was the white people. This use of parallel structure emphasizes how just and unjust laws can look deceptively similar. was initially the eight clergymen of Birmingham, all white and in positions of religious leadership. He goes on to add; I am in Birmingham because injustice is here (King 1). In addition, King is also in Birmingham because he feels compelled to respond to injustice wherever he finds it. 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. 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. 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. This exigence is rhetorical because it can be improved if enough people are socially cognizant, whether that be in legislature or the streets of Birmingham, through creation and enforcement of equitable laws and social attitudes. Here, King offers disparate hypotheticals to illustrate the necessity for brevity in his acts. When teaching speeches and letters, it's helpful to refresh or introduce students to literary elements that enhance rhetorical strategies. 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 letter, Dr. King does a tremendous job of supporting his argument with the three elements of Aristotles rhetorical appeal. While his letter was only addressed to the clergymen, it is safe to assume that King had intent on the public eventually reading his letter, considering his position within the Civil Rights movement, use of persuasive rhetorical language, and hard-hitting debates on the justification of law. Parallelism - Definition and Examples | LitCharts It was important for King to address this audience as their support would ultimately make the largest difference in the movement. Writers commonly use parallelism when there is a pair or a series of elements, or in the headlines or outlines of a document. Several clergy who negatively critiqued Kings approach of seeking justice, wrote A Call for Unity, arguing that his protests were senseless and improper. The Letter from Birmingham Jail addresses many problems, including the slow action occuring to stop racial discrimination. His audience ranged between those who his message empowered, a radical positive force, and those who disagreed, made up of southern states, extremist groups, and the majority of American citizens stuck in their racial prejudices. Using emotional appeals captures an audience's attention and makes them think about what the narrator is saying. MLKs use of pathos and repetition is an effective way to persuade his audience about his position on civil disobedience. Identify the parallel structures in the following sentence f | Quizlet King defends his primary thesis all throughout the length of his letter, and the arguments that he has made to prove that his thesis is true and valid will be the focus of this rhetorical analysis. Magnifying the differences between two things and repeating statements with similar structure brings about emotion to realize the wrongness of the injustice of civil. King has explained this through many examples of racial situations, factual and logical reasoning, and . In A Letter From A Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr defends his use of nonviolent protest in order to accomplish racial equality. Although King was arrested for a nonviolent protest, he still found a way to justify his actions with the use of logos and pathos. 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.s Letter from Birmingham Jail.. Example: Is not segregation an existential expression of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? In. Note: All essays placed on IvyMoose.com are written by students who kindly donate their papers to us. One of the challenges that he faced included being criticized because of what he believed in concerning the laws of segregation. 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. He hopes that this letter will stop this injustice matter, and show what the African American desire. His masterful delivery of these metaphors and the frequent repetition makes the speech much like a poem or a part of a song. Bitzer, Lloyd F. The Rhetorical Situation.. After reading "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", ask your students to do a scavenger hunt using the storyboard creator. He uses these rhetorical techniques along with a logical argument to demonstrate why his methods were right., Martin Luther King, Jr. a civil rights activist that fought for the rights of African Americans in 1963. 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." Identify the parallel structures in the following sentences | Quizlet Throughout Kings letter, he used various ways of persuasive strategies: pathos, logos, and ethos. 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. As example, King uses I have a dream that one day and Let freedom ring.. to open his points on how Americans should change against racial indifferences. His expressive language and use of argumentation make his case strong and convincing. He uses rhetorical devices such as repetition, analogy, and rhetorical questions. 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. In Kings speech he says, Its ugly record of police brutality is known in every section of this country (King Page 6). In his "Letter form a Birmingham Jail" and his "I have a Dream speech, Dr. King uses metaphor, repetition and parallel structure to provide visual images which may evoke empathy in the readers and audience and emphasize the ideas he presents: the argument for civil rights and the goal to end segregation. Find step-by-step Literature solutions and your answer to the following textbook question: Identify the parallel structures in the following sentence from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," and explain their effect. Other than the speechs heartwarming and moving content, Kings effective structure along with the usage of all three rhetorical modes and certain rhetorical tropes and schemes has revealed the reason I Have a Dream as a masterpiece of rhetoric and it persuades hundreds of thousands of people support the blacks instead of treating them. 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. This helps King focus on the differences between them. 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. samples are real essays written by real students who kindly donate their papers to us so that Bitzer, Lloyd F. The Rhetorical Situation. Philosophy & Rhetoric, vol. 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. 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.