Letter from Birmingham Jail
Essay Preview: Letter from Birmingham Jail
Report this essay
Wisdom is a comprehension of the wise course of actions that has the ability to effectively and efficiently applies perceptions and knowledge to produce the desirable results. According to this definition, I think Martin Luther King Jr.s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is wise; and can strike a cord with the readers because his expert use of rhetorical tradition to establish a moral position that could inspire them. King uses several literary tools to create a powerful tone to complement his strong opinions, and uses pathos to invoke different emotions thorough the letter. Although he has to carefully and reasonably analyse the complex situation, King refuses to be caught up in passion or posturing. His message was eloquently written in a very predominately logical manner.
Too often, arguments fail to bring out any understanding between the opposing sides because each party has different viewpoints on the ideas. Dr. King knew it. He understood that it would be futile to just come out with an unrelenting confrontation and directly argue with these religious men. Even though the letter was addressed as a reply message to the eight Alabama clergymen, his real target audience was the “white moderate”. Therefore, if King came out strong and said that the clergymen were wrong, it would have ruined his image in the eyes of many readers. He must first transcend from the role of an anti-segregationist into a man who desired righteousness; whose words drove the audience to share his sentiments.
“My dear fellow clergymen” (213), at the very beginning King has shown his good nature and desires to have a humility discussion. He greets the men who disagree with him in a warm and welcoming way. In addition, to avoid making his letter an assault, King uses the word “fellow” to put him and these religious men together in a sense instead of separating them. With such a greeting, the letter has been set up into a heart-to-heart, sensible discussion, not just merely an argument against the clergymens words.
Continuing throughout the letter, the eloquence of the prose is easily noticeable. King regularly uses this method because it expresses his arguments in a non-aggressive style. To illustrate, in the eighth paragraph when he writes about the broken promises were made by the white merchants to the Negro community. “As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community” (215). This passage was written in a non-blaming, ethical sounding manner. It shows that King has already recognised the faults but still not laying blame on anyone.
In Kings letter, narration method is also used gradually to promote his views to the audience. One of the successful examples is at the first paragraph of the letter. “While confined here in Birmingham City Jail” (213). Very deliberately, this sentence instantly forms a negative image of a poor person who is suffering from an unjust law. This is the exact image that King would like to go with because it helps to develop sympathy among the reader, and have an emotional involvement level with them right from the start.
Among the many methods of development, comparison is the most emphasised method that has been used by King. This method helps the reader understand why segregation is wrong. For example, through the letter King often compares himself to biblical figures to create a feeling of importance when he discusses the wrongfulness of obeying injustice laws; and more importantly, to raise the pathos of respect for his cause. “Just as the prophets of the eighth century