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Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Module 1 - Case Assignment

Letter from Birmingham Jail In "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. responds to a letter he was sent by white clergymen that challenge his right to protest. He was called an outsider and an extremist. Dr. King shows from the start that he is a man of knowledge and can be trusted. To build on that trust and knowledge he must present an argument that appeals to his audience using the three pillars; ethos, pathos and logos. First, he must convince his audience, the clergymen, that he is credible and has good character. He does so by writing, "I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference." (King Jr., 1963) He continues from that statement by saying that his group is associated with 85 other organizations. He also states that he has organizational ties to Birmingham which is why he is there. He is not trying to interfere, but rather was invited to Birmingham. He shows that he is not only an important character but also has strong ethics and morals. He demonstrates to the clergymen that he is a man that can be trusted …show more content…
King frequently uses logic throughout his letter. He brought up many great facts and beliefs that sided with him. "We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was 'legal ' and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was 'illegal. '" (King Jr., 1963) Dr. King stated that even if he lived in a Communist country today he would disobey those laws that he thought were unjust, and would openly promote others to do the same. He explained to his fellow clergymen that it is sometimes better to disobey a law than to obey it. He broke laws that he felt were unjust and stated that others should abide by the laws that are just. During Dr. Kings entire letter he keeps a level head and does not play into the emotions that often come with a heated argument. His arguments were very heartfelt and
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