Martin Luther King Jr.

ENC 1101-012

26 January 2012

The Rhetorical Brilliance of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Junior refutes the white clergymen’s assumptions and criticisms on the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s (SCLC) non-violence movement in Birmingham, Alabama. King Jr. blatantly disagrees with the clergymen’s claim that his direct action motives were “unwise and untimely”, but unlike the white clergymen, Martin Luther King Jr. states that many African-Americans’ houses and churches had been burned to ashes by white segregationists. Rather than being an outsider, as the clergymen claimed, King clarifies that he had received an open invitation to come to Birmingham, Alabama from Fred Shuttlesworth in an effort to aid in the fight against racial injustice. Martin Luther King Jr. clearly believes in his proclamation that “the time to ‘wait’ had come to an end; the black community had ‘waited’ long enough". In his work “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. creates calamity within the American nation as he addresses the “Beloved Community” and their unwillingness to properly enforce law through following the ingrained rhetorical guidelines — logos, pathos, and ethos.

With this in mind Martin Luther King Jr. uses different logical techniques to make his letter appealing to a large variety of readers. Through his word choice and subtle arguments, King is able to combine the truth with his own opinion, employing the rhetorical technique of logos. He uses polite yet straightforward remarks when addressing the clergymen. “But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.” In addition to using polite remarks, King also states that he was not in Birmingham, Alabama on his own impulse, so that no suspicion regarding his presence would arise. On more than one occasion, Martin Luther King Jr. references God and other biblical figures, to appeal to the strong religious beliefs of the community. He mentions that the African-American community has waited long enough for their “God-given rights.” He quotes St. Augustine: “an unjust law is no law at all.” making his work appealing to religious readers worldwide. Also, Chloe Lizotte affirms that King’s logical reasoning throughout all his work contributes to the reader’s understanding of his text, and allows the reader to relate to his writing.

In addition to logos, King also includes pathos in his work to create emotional solidarity among his audience. Repetition is a key element to create pity among readers. He constantly repeats the poor state he found himself in as he wrote his letter. King wanted to put the reader into his own shoes to engross and captivate them in order for them to feel what King Jr., himself, was feeling. As Wesley T. Mott said, “Much of the raw emotional power of King’s “Letter” arises simply from the increasing tempo and from the relentless force of repetition and parallelism.” (Mott 416) King Jr.’s use of imagery helps the reader understand what the African-Americans were going through during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vivid examples allow his readers to gain insight on the true discrimination that African-Americans faced. When Martin Luther King Jr. described, “When you suddenly

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