Letter from Birmingham Jail; Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Use of the Rhetoric Triangle Every writer has some sort of drive when writing a piece of work. Whether that drive comes from a creative source or the need to prove a point, it exists. For Martin Luther King Jr. that drive was the need to put an end to racial injustice that seemed to be everywhere. Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† is a perfect example. â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† was King’s response to eight clergymen’s â€Å"A Call for Unity.† His drive came from the clergymen’s unjust propositions and accusations. This letter allowed King to not only propose a rebuttal but to justify his own civil disobedience, as well as explain the indecency of racial segregation. Throughout his letter, King†¦show more content†¦We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. (Par. 2) In paragraph 2, King points out the facts as well as his business in Birmingham. Logos required logic, facts, anything that shows flow of logic. In this text, King was informing us, as well as the clergymen that he in fact did have business in Birmingham. â€Å"Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C left their villages and carried their â€Å"thus saith the Lord† †¦ Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.† (Par. 3) A subsection of logos is appeal to authority and by referencing to the Apostle Paul, King uses the same Biblical mentality of the clergymen to get his own point across, as well as justify his reasons for being in Alabama. Just like the Apostle Paul spread the word of Jesus, King is spreading the word of freedom. Briefly, King touched upon nonviolent direct-action in the previous paragraph as in his reasons for being there, however he goes more in depth into these direct-action ‘steps’. â€Å"In any nonvi olent campaign there are four steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action.† (Par. 6) A major element of logos is enumeration. King uses enumeration to lay out a foundation for his counter argument by addressing the essential steps needed to have a successful nonviolent campaign. As King’s tone in the letter begins to shift and change direction, so does his use of the rhetoricShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail1052 Words   |  5 Pagesracial discrimination is? A Rhetorical Analysis of Letter From Birmingham Jail It is known to all that Martin Luther King is a famous person in America, who strongly goes against the racial discrimination all the time. 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