parallelism in letter from birmingham jail

These circumstances lead us to our next rhetorical focus: audience. Its important to note that his initial readers/supporters greatly impacted the scope of his audience, spreading the letter through handouts, flyers, and press, in the hopes that others would be impacted for the better by the weight of the exigence at hand. Therefore this makes people see racism in a whole new light; racism has not been justified because the United States have failed to uphold their promises. King chose to write this for a reason; to resonate with those who were not his enemies but who held back the movement through compliance. They were arrested and held in . This audience is rhetorical as the social and political ideologies of the American people fuel democracy and are able to change the system around them through collective effort. These encompass his exigence, at its most simple and precise, and validify the importance behind transforming the country in a positive way. Parallelism is a literary device in itself, but it is also a category under which other figures of speech fall, such as those mentioned previously. In the letter "Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. writes to the Clergyman to express his idea on the racial discrimination and injustice going on in Birmingham Alabama. King organized various non-violent demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that resulted in his arrest. While in solitary confinement for nearly 8 days, reverend and social justice activist, Martin Luther King Jr., wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to the criticism he received for his non-violent protests. He had a great impact on race relations in the U.S. and he made a great impact on many lives. Lincoln states, We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. What he says means that the soldiers lost their lives to give us freedom. Being nearly symbolic, King being held prisoner in Birmingham, the most polar racial arena of the United States, made his rhetoric more effective. His mention of involvement and leadership within a Christian civil rights organization, strength of religious analogy, and general politeness are effective rhetorical choices used to shape how he is perceived despite his critical response, racial setbacks, and arrest: a relatable man of faith, rationale, and initiative. This website uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Not only does he use pathos to humanize himself, but he also uses it to humanize his immediate audience, the eight clergymen. Divided there is little we can dofor we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder." - John F. Kennedy, "1961 First Inaugural Address" King spins the constraining pressure to properly represent the movement on its head, using his rhetoric to uplift the underprivileged and leave no room in his language for criticism, proven by the continuous adoption of his messages by the public. 'Letter from Birmingham Jail'"' is a clearly written essay that explains the reasons behind, and the methods of nonviolent civil disobedience, and gently expresses King's disappointment with those who are generally supportive of equal rights for African-Americans. This is the beginning of King's point-by-point rebuttal of the criticisms leveled against him. This period of quiet speculation over the law illuminates the national divide in opinion over the matter, one which King helped persuade positively. Analysing a rhetorical situation clarifies why a text was created, the purpose in which it was written, and why the author made specific choices while writing it. While in his cell, he composed the famous Letter from Birmingham Jail. you can use them for inspiration and simplify your student life. This exigence is rhetorical because it can be improved if enough people are socially cognizant, whether that be in legislature or the streets of Birmingham, through creation and enforcement of equitable laws and social attitudes. As the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s unfolded, Martin Luther King Jr. had, perhaps, the most encompassing and personal rhetorical situation to face in American history. Lloyd Bitzer describes rhetorical situation as, a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations presenting an actual or potential exigence which can be completely or partially removed if discourse, introduced into the situation, can so constrain human decision or action to bring about the significant modification of the exigence (6). Letter from Birmingham Jail. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute, 29 May 2019, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/letter-birmingham-jail. Martin Luther King then goes on to make an analogy to the Bible, portraying Apostle Pauls proliferation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in parallel to his own efforts, stating, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular hometown (1). As a black man and pacifist-forward figurehead of the Civil Rights movement, the way Martin Luther is perceived is mostly dictated by preconceived biases and is rampant, widespread, and polarized. All of this accumulates into an unwavering social constraint placed on Martin Luther Kings rhetorical text. In addition, King is also in Birmingham because he feels compelled to respond to injustice wherever he finds it. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law." Magnifying the differences between two things and repeating statements with similar structure brings about emotion to realize the wrongness of the injustice of civil. Consequently, Birmingham became the core of the Civil Rights movement, pumping the life-blood of social change into the rest of the country. How does this comparison appropriately justify. He is a firm believer that Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere (262). Parallelism/ Juxtaposition. Furthermore, exterior events regarding the movement could ultimately reflect on his influence and polarize the audience further. "A Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Analysis. It is rather for us to be here, As it may do that, it also seems to serve more of a logical appeal because he mentions the evidence of white brotherhood. It was important for King to address this audience as their support would ultimately make the largest difference in the movement. King uses pathos to invoke anger, sympathy and empathy, his impeccable use of logos makes his argument rational to everyone, and his use of ethos, especially the use of biblical references, makes his opinions more reliable. Early in his speech, King writes riches of freedom and security of justice and then justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. In these two examples, King is using parallelism to express that the African American wants justice and freedom by repeating them next to each other and mentally connecting them in the readers mind, which is also connected with pathos as the terms King uses subtly emphasize those words and create good feelings in the reader. We allow people to think that it is okay to act unjustly towards some individuals. African Americans have been waiting to have there civil rights of freedom, but the social courts has requested them not protest on the street but to take it to court. King concludes with optimism about the future of the relationship between the currently segregated blacks and whites. He points out the irony of America because Black Americans were still not truly free. I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. In the Gettysburg Address Lincoln talks about how people fought the war and how people should honor their soldiers. Here, King combines divergent interpretations of justice to demonstrate the gravity of the injustice that he confronted in Birmingham. Dr. King wrote, This wait has almost always meant never. This is why Dr. king addresses this matter in a letter about the battle of segregation. Your email address will not be published. He is placing hope among the Negro community and assuring the white superiority that one day, they will share the same rights as their nation distinctively promised a hundred years earlier. His masterful delivery of these metaphors and the frequent repetition makes the speech much like a poem or a part of a song. Correspondingly, King urges the clergy to reconsider the horse-and-buggy pace of their methods of action through his logos. King's main thesis in writing the Birmingham letter is that, racial segregation, or injustice to the black American society, is due to the continuous encouragement of the white American society, particularly the powerful communities in politics and religions. In his "Letter from Birmingham City Jail," Martin Luther King Jr. presents an argument through analogy by comparing his situation to Apostle Paul. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail. The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 29 Jan. 2021, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/02/letter-from-a-birmingham-jail/552461/. His writing is respectful and educated, if not naturally, to invalidate the use of his race against him by the largely prejudiced audience. All of these factors influence each other to shape rhetoric, which Bitzer describes as, pragmatic; it comes into existence for the sake of something beyond itself (3), with Martin Luther Kings Letter From Birmingham Jail being a shining example. He proves his authority through his explanation of his experience as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia (King 232), and he emphasizes the importance of addressing the situation to him when he says, seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas, referring to the people of Birminghams resistance to the civil protests that he has been leading in Birmingham (King, Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. mentions the atrocities of racism and describes his endless battles against it. Parallelism takes many forms in literature, such as anaphora, antithesis, asyndeton, epistrophe, etc. Some clergymen, mostly white American men, believe the nonviolent protest Dr. King and African Americans were during was "unwise" and "untimely". These purposes can be similar, or different. In his letter he uses examples like when you have seen hate-filled policeman curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters. and when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and gathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim to make his audience envision and feel what many negroes felt while watching their families put up with this mistreatment. During this letter, King then uses the time to unroot the occasion of nonviolent protests in BIrmingham and the disappointing leadership of the clergy. During this period in the 1960s, King was disappointed by the way the white clergy was not in support of the religious civil rights movement and Kings goal of equality as a whole. The following well-known adage is an example of parallelism: "Give a . King is not speaking only of racism; he is speaking of injustice in general. Although King was arrested for a nonviolent protest, he still found a way to justify his actions with the use of logos and pathos. Even now, it continues to make generations of people, not just Americans, to give up their racist beliefs and advocate social colorblindness. In Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter From Birmingham Jail and I Have a Dream speech he uses many different rhetorical devices. Both their speeches, I Have a Dream and The Ballot or the Bullet may have shared some common traits, but at the same time, differed greatly in various aspects. He wants the clergyman to realize that what they believe and think is wrong. Initially, the eight Birmingham clergymen are the audience and while they were not overtly racist, King uses rhetoric meant to have them understand his urgency. In response to Kings peaceful protesting, the white community viewed [his] nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist, and subsequently imprisoned the pastor (para 27). King uses parallelism to add balance and rhythm to his rhetoric. His expressive language and use of argumentation make his case strong and convincing. Lines 14-43: King provides three different types of reasons in his letter to justify his presence in Birmingham: Organizational reasons, religious or historical reasons, and moral reasons. He displays a great amount of pathos, logos, and ethos in his speech. In sum, all rhetoric has an external situation in which it is responding to. 114, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40236733. Active Themes. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, King implements antithesis -- along with his background as a minister -- to demonstrate the hypocrisy of the Southern clergymen, as he attempts to further diverge the two diametric rationales; thus, he creates logos as he appeals to the audiences logical side and urges African-Americans to act punctual in their fight against injustice, prompted by the imprudent words of the clergy. All of these factors influence each other to shape rhetoric, which Bitzer describes as, pragmatic; it comes into existence for the sake of something beyond itself (3), with Martin Luther Kings. 1963, a letter was written to the clergy to alert them of what great injustices were taking place in Birmingham, Alabama. The letter from the Birmingham jail of Martin Luther King, Jr.. Dr. King repeats the same starting words when you have seen with different examples of injustices. Dr. King responded to criticism that was made by clergymen about calling Dr. King activities as "Unwise and Untimely". In this example, King manufactures logos through the creation of antithetic parallelism, as the structure of his essay provides justification for his argument against the postponement of justice. The rhythm and frequent repetition are used to drive home his key points, stressing the importances of his goal. Ultimately, King crafts antithetic parallelism to establish a logical structure that emphasizes logos in his argument: the timeliness of justice. One example of parallelism he uses is, But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity (Barnet and Bedau 741). Both influential speeches rely heavily on rhetorical devices to convey their purpose. King specifically wrote to the white clergymen who had earlier addressed a letter to him as to why he was apprehended, in which they argued that his actions were untimely and unconstitutional. Constraints bring light to the obstacles this rhetoric may face, whether it be social, political, economical, etc. Specifically, King's letter addresses three important groups in the American society: the white American political community, white American religious community, and the black American society. In his letter King effectively manipulates language and tone to strengthen his argument against the complaints of the clergyman and successfully address the white people. King goes on to explain how this right has not been kept, making it appear to be similar to a laid-back rule. In short, Martin Luther King Jr. includes rhetorical devices in his writing. He uses rhetorical devices such as repetition, analogy, and rhetorical questions. IvyMoose is the largest stock of essay samples on lots of topics and for any discipline. In "Letter from Birmingham Jail", King implements antithesis -- along with his background as a minister -- to demonstrate the hypocrisy of the Southern clergymen, as he attempts to further diverge the two diametric rationales; thus, he creates logos as he appeals to the audience's logical side and urges African-Americans to act punctual in their Order can only be held for so long whilst injustice is around. Dr. King fought against segregation between Black Americans and White Americans. In A Letter From A Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr defends his use of nonviolent protest in order to accomplish racial equality. Saying it that way magnifies the imperative difference between the two types of laws. In terms of legacies, Martin Luther King Jr. is an example of someone whose legacy has left an impact on a great many fields. was initially the eight clergymen of Birmingham, all white and in positions of religious leadership. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. While this fight had been raging for nearly 10 years, the release in 1963 was shortly followed by the Civil Rights Act in 1964. However, they each have different ideas about freedom, and about what they want their audience to do. Martin Luther King Jr., with the Rev. Likewise, King creates logos as he employs another antithetical statement that demonstrates the timeliness of his argument: Never voluntarily given by the oppressor must be demanded by the oppressed; Jet-like speed horse-and-buggy pace (518). The constraints surrounding Martin Luther Kings rhetorical situation include the audience, the rhetorical exigence of the situation he is responding to, Dr. King himself, and the medium, all of which are deeply connected. He died in 1968. These "parallel" elements can be used to intensify the rhythm of language, or to draw a comparison, emphasize, or elaborate on an idea. This essay was written by a fellow student. By addressing his respect for the clergymen, feigned or not, he is acknowledging the effectiveness of respect to those in power, whether they may or may not deserve it. The concept of parallelism in letters from birmingham jail by martin luther king jr.. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-concept-of-parallelism-in-letters-from-birmingham-jail-by-martin-luther-king-jr-Q1aX8ugT Be sure to capitalize proper nouns (e.g. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., along with many other civil activist, began a campaign to change the laws and the social attitudes that caused such a disparity. Although Dr. Kings exploits are revered today, he had opponents that disagreed with the tactics he employed. Several clergy who negatively critiqued Kings approach of seeking justice, wrote A Call for Unity, arguing that his protests were senseless and improper. King says on page. " Any law that uplifts human personality is just." In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and . Pathos are present more often in the I Have A Dream speech, mainly because he is bravely facing a crowd, speaking from the heart, rather than formality. King goes on to write that he is disappointed that white moderates care less about justice and more about order. The Letter from Birmingham Jail addresses many problems, including the slow action occuring to stop racial discrimination. Overall, King is saying that we need to fight against injustice anywhere we see it,, In April of 1963, while incarcerated in Birmingham City jail, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote an influential letter defending his anti-segregation protests. The letter is a plea to both white and black Americans to encourage desegregation and to encourage equality among all Americans, both black and white, along all social, political and religious ranks, clearly stating that there should be no levels of equality based upon racial differences., In Letter from Birmingham Jail, author Martin Luther King Jr. confirms the fact that human rights must take precedence over unjust laws. Through powerful, emotionally-loaded diction, syntax, and figurative language, King adopts a disheartened tone later shifts into a determined tone in order to express and reflect on his disappointment with the churchs inaction and his goals for the future. His goal is to make the clergymen help him fight racial equality. As the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s unfolded, Martin Luther King Jr. had, perhaps, the most encompassing and personal rhetorical situation to face in American history. The letter was addressed to clergymen who had criticized King and made many claims against him. The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: there are just laws, and there are unjust laws Any law that uplifts human personality is just. There are people in the white community that are already standing hand-in-hand with them and their dreams. Finally, King uses antithesis one more time at the end of his speech, when he writes when all of Gods children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands. The pairs he mentions are all the direct opposites of each other, yet he says that they will all join hands together and be friends. Because of his skill in creating such pieces of writing, as well as his influential role within the Civil Rights Movement, and the reminder that Letter from Birmingham Jail provides of these trying times, his letter should continue to be included within A World of Ideas. His passionate tone flowed through these strategies, increasing their persuasive power on the people and encouraging them to follow/listen to his message on racial injustice. During the era of the civil rights movements in the 60s, among the segregation, racism, and injustice against the blacks, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial to deliver one of the greatest public speeches for freedom in that decade. Kings goes on to say how racial equality can not be achieved until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream (King). With these devices, King was able to move thousands of hearts and inspire the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Laws should build up society to be better so that a law is not need to be enforced and people will still follow it. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement in 1954. He writes how the white church is often disappointed in the African Americans lack of patience and how they are quick to be willing to break laws. By clicking Receive Essay, you agree to our, Essay Sample on The Effects of the Atomic Bomb, Essay Sample: The Development of the Braille System in Nineteenth-Century France, Constitution of The United StatesResearch Paper Example, Hippies In The 1960's (Free Essay Sample), Positive And Negative Impacts Of The Columbian Exchange, Essay Sample on Early River Civilizations. Black Americans were forced to sit behind buses and kids were to use old books and uniforms of White Americans. This letter is a prime example of Kings expertise in constructing persuasive rhetoric that appealed to the masses at large. As mentioned before, the social and political ideologies in America surrounding racial equity at this time, specifically in Birmingham, were extremely poor. Throughout the Letter from Birmingham Jail, ethos, pathos, and logos are masterfully applied by Martin Luther King. Furthermore, good usage of these rhetorical device . MLKs use of pathos and repetition is an effective way to persuade his audience about his position on civil disobedience. 100% plagiarism free, Orders: 11 In this way, King juxtaposes the unscrupulous principles of the clergy with his righteous beliefs to highlight the threat of injustice, which he seeks to combat with hope. One of the challenges that he faced included being criticized because of what he believed in concerning the laws of segregation. With this addressed, his audience was truly the population of the United States, especially Birmingham, with a focus on those who withheld and complied with the oppression of African American citizens, even if not intentionally. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere!" Example: Is not segregation an existential expression of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? King through this letter tries to express his, "Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail, which was written in April 16, 1963, is a passionate letter that addresses and responds to the issue and criticism that a group of white clergymen had thrown at him and his pro- black American organization about his and his organization's non- violent demonstrative actions against racial prejudice and injustice among black Americans in Birmingham. and may encompass the audience, as seen while analysing Letter From Birmingham Jail. You may use it as a guide or sample for writing your own . An Unjust Law Is No Law At All: Excerpts from "Letter from Birmingham Jail" January 18, 2021 By The Editors In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we're sharing excerpts from King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail," one of the most important moral treatises of the twentieth century. In Martin Luther King Jrs I Have a Dream speech he effectively uses ethos, diction and powerful metaphors to express the brutality endured by African American people. He uses these rhetorical techniques along with a logical argument to demonstrate why his methods were right., Martin Luther King, Jr. a civil rights activist that fought for the rights of African Americans in 1963. The clergymen along with others are addressed in an assertive tone allowing them to fully understand why his actions are justified. Martin Luther King Jr. twists the perspective of his audience -- Southern clergymen -- to create antithetic parallelism in Letter from Birmingham Jail. Throughout the work, Letter from Bimingham Jail, Martin Luther constantly uses examples from historical figures in order to unite his argument that action must be taken in order to end discrimination and segregation.

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