Rhetorical Devices in Letter from Birmingham Jail
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Rhetorical Devices in Letter from Birmingham Jail
Literary works have always formed a fundamental part of the society. They have been used to shape the course of events, outline the ills that the real world is grappling with, as well as give opinions of how a better world can be created. Needless to say, different literary works have had different levels of success, not only with the ideas that they inspired but also with the popularity that they gave their authors. While numerous literary works have been composed, none arguably comes as more inspiring than Martin Luther King Junior’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Throughout this literary work, Dr. King made use of rhetoric in an effort to persuade the readers, as well as come up with a convincing argument. Indeed, it is evident that he effectively used pathos, logos and ethos alongside other figures of speech in his attempt to win over some clergymen that had challenged his fundamental right to protest and branded him an extremist and outsider.
First, Dr. King makes numerous ethical appeals through relating his mission to the authority of God. He uses the history of his family in church to appeal to a higher authority and underline the knowledge of the church and God. This is seen where he quotes his distinctive position of being “the son, the grandson, and the great-grandson of preachers”. His quotation of these roots in the church underline his authority in the knowledge of what is ethically and morally right. On the same note, he underlines his authority and credibility by comparing his activism movement and extremist views with those of the varied authoritative figures in history. For example, he calls Jesus an extremist of love, Amos an extremist for justice, and Paul an extremist of the Christian gospel (King 8). On the same note, he quotes the words of Thomas Jefferson that “all men are created equal”, as well as Abraham Lincoln’s words that the nation would not exist as “half slave and half free” (King 8). These ideals of equality and love from the varied authoritative figures are used to support the cause for which he is fighting. This is also seen where he compares the condemnation he received to the condemnation of a robbed man for precipitating evil through having money, or even condemning Jesus and Socrates for promoting evil because of standing against it. The use of these authoritative figures puts his cause on a significantly higher level.
In addition, Dr. King makes use pathos to appeal to the emotions of the readers in judging his actions. Indeed, Dr. King creates an atmosphere of desperation to compel the reader to support him and his cause merely on the basis of sympathy. He outlines the varied instances where African Americans have been subjected to brutality, for instance, the “unsolved bombings of negro homes and churches (King 2)”, “ugly and inhuman treatment of negroes in the city jail”, “long years of oppression” and being “drained of self respect and a sense of sombodiness” (King, 7). These instances are used in building feelings of sympathy for himself, as well as the individuals that share the same cause through the creation of an image of being an underdog that is being bullied and brutalized by the considerably bigger villain that is the government and police that have rejected them (Jonathan 15). This strategy is bound to prove successful, especially considering that the society usually roots for individuals that are considered underdog. Even more emotionally appealing is the description of the pain of seeing one’s relatives in poverty, drowned or even lynched. He explains the pain that an individual would feel explaining to his daughter why she cannot go to an amusement park advertised lately as tears well up in her eyes (King 4). The strength of this strategy lies in the fact that people have extremely strong emotional ties to their families, in which case they would be angry at the thought of anyone hurting them, thereby making it easy to obtain sympathy (McCarthy 22).
In addition, Dr. King outlines a number of fairly logical reasons as to why his is a cause worth fighting for. He explains his reason for supporting the protests as the unfair and violent treatment that is meted on blacks, as well as the injustices that they endure on a daily basis. Of particular note is the sentence where he cautions his readers against forgetting that all actions and atrocities that were committed by Adolf Hitler in Germany were considered legal, while the actions of the Hungarian freedom fighters in Hungary were considered illegal (King 5). This is complemented by the explanation that he broke the laws that, in his opinion, were unjust and opined that others should follow laws as long as they considered them just (Rieder 16). This appeals to the reasoning faculties of individuals especially considering that every person knows that the actions of Hitler were morally wrong while saving Jews would have been morally upright. This underlined the fact that it is preferable to disobey an unjust law than follow it.
On the same note, Dr. King used repetition to emphasize on the necessity of the cause for which he was fighting. In paragraph 12, Dr. King repeats the term “when” and outlines the varied injustices that blacks face. These include failure to be admitted to motels, undergoing bad treatment from whites, or even when one has to render explanations to his sons and daughters why they cannot be allowed in certain places, or when they are derogatorily called “niggers” (King 4). These repetitions are used in not only emphasizing the severity of the situation for the blacks but also the necessity of his cause.
Lastly, Dr. King used metaphors to draw a mental picture of the current situation and how he envisions the future. As he signs out, he hopes that “the dark clouds of racial prejudice” will be gone and the “deep fog of misunderstanding” lifted from the fear-drenched society so as to allow the “radiant stars of love and brotherhood” to shine on the nation (King 12). These metaphors are aimed at outlining the gloomy nature of the society in which he lives and the brilliance of the future for which he fights, thereby underlining the worth of the cause and calling for support for it.
In conclusion, Dr. King makes effective use of pathos logos and ethos alongside other features of speech in his literary piece to emphasize the necessity of the cause. He underlines his roots in church and compares his works with those of recognized historical figures to underline his authority in speaking of the things he did. In addition, he appeals to the emotions of readers by drawing examples of family situations, which he knows every person would be protective of. His appeal to logic comes in the form of questioning the moral authority of Adolf Hitler, thereby underlining the fact that laws should only be obeyed as long as they are just. On the same note, his repetition of the word “when” places emphasis on the injustices with which blacks grapple, thereby underlining the necessity of his cause.
Works cited
McCarthy, Anna. The Citizen Machine: Governing by Television in 1950s America, New York: The New Press, 2010, Print
Jonathan, Bass. S. Blessed are the peacemakers: Martin Luther King, Jr., eight white religious leaders, and the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. 2001, Print,
Rieder, Jonathan. Gospel of Freedom: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Struggle That Changed a Nation. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Press, 2013. Print
King, Martin Luther. Letter from Birmingham Jail. African Studies Center, 1963. Web retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html” http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
Vail, Mark Thomas. Realms of Reception: The Rhetorical Response to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Memphis: Memphis State University, 2008, print
