Rhetorical Strategies In Martin Luther Kings The Letter...

Lauren Rodriguez Professor Tucker English 1310 19 Sep 2017 Rhetorical Strategies in Martin Luther King’s â€Å"The Letter from Birmingham† Martin Luther Jr, an advocate of civil rights and pastor, was sent to jail after engaging in the Birmingham campaign. At the time, he served as the leader of the Christian Leadership Conference of the South, and was called upon to come to Birmingham and take part in a peaceful program. All the participants of the Alabama based Christian movement planned non-violent protests against racial discrimination in the city. Following the protests, all the participants were sent to jail. While in prison, eight clergymen of Alabama made a statement that blacks should stop supporting King and the other demonstrators.†¦show more content†¦King also validates his credibility when he shows his leadership credentials. He says, â€Å"I have the honor of serving as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern states with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the south and one o f them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently, we share staff, educational, and financial resources with our affiliates.† The introduction serves the purpose of validating his authority as a member of the U.S. He is merely proving to the clergymen that he has as much brains on the topic of racial discrimination and injustice, if not more. Luther then proceeds to optimize pathos by demonstrating the tribulations suffered by his people. In the entire letter, he uses pathos to capture the reader’s emotions thereby convincing them to see the significance of taking action now and not wait much longer. Luther triggers a sense of shame and guilt when addressing his opponents, expressing that they ought to comprehend how significant this â€Å"non-violent direct action† is (Fulkerson 122). An illustration of his appeal to pathos is seen in his assertion that, â€Å"The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep atShow MoreRelated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter From a Birmingham Jail Essays1088 Words   |  5 PagesDr. Martin Luther King Jr.s â€Å"Letter From a Birmingham Jail† In King’s essay, â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail†, King brilliantly employs the use of several rhetorical strategies that are pivotal in successfully influencing critics of his philosophical views on civil disobedience. 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