Letter From a Birmingham Jail

"Letter from a Birmingham Jail" summary

The following summarizes the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” which was written while Martin Luther King Jr. was in jail in Alabama. He starts by addressing the clergymen and sets a respectful precedent. He explains that he is in Birmingham to help Black Americans "because injustice is here."

The clergymen's open letter to King specified a list of criticisms defending their argument that civil rights demonstrations should end. King Jr. used these points to create the foundation of his response by meticulously addressing and countering them. The fundamental criticisms of King Jr. addressed in “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” are:

• King is an outsider interfering with Birmingham.

• Public demonstrations are an inappropriate way to address his concerns.

• Negotiations should be preferred over actions.

• King Jr.’s actions break laws.

• The Black American community should show more patience.

• King Jr. is provoking violence through acts of extremism.

• The fight should be addressed in the courts.

King responds by addressing the accusation that he is an “outsider.” He then explains the value behind his campaign for equality based on direct action and protests rather than going through the court system. He argues that the real issue is racial injustice and that the current laws maintaining segregation are unjust; the only way to rectify injustice is through direct and immediate action.

Fig. 2 - King Jr. was adamantly against anyone being complicit with segregation.

He condemns people who are complicit with the unjust laws and sit by without doing anything. He specifically calls out white moderates and claims they are worse than the Ku Klux Klan and White Citizens Councillor because they are "more devoted to order than to justice." He also calls out the white church and explains his disappointment in their weak and uncertain convictions that maintain the status quote of discrimination and violence.

Martin Luther King Jr. ends his letter on a positive note by praising the real heroes who fight every day for equality.

Tone of “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”

In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. maintained a respectful, assertive, and persuasive tone throughout. His controlled use of diction and persuasive techniques appealed to the audience’s intelligence and emotions.

King is very assertive in his letter. He uses powerful language that doesn't shy away from revealing the true hardships Black Americans were experiencing due to racial segregation. He uses the following underlined action verbs with negative implications to convey what Black Americans have been dealing with. By using assertive diction like these action verbs, it motivates the reader to join him in the battle against injustice.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a master of persuasive techniques, which were created by Aristotle in 350 BC. He uses these techniques throughout his letter to create a convincing tone.

There are many instances of each persuasive technique in "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," but some brief examples are provided here and in the analysis.

King used logos to prove that there was evidence of unfair treatment towards Black Americans. He cited many examples and then said, "There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in this nation. These are the hard, brutal, and unbelievable facts." By using concrete proof that a certain portion of the population is subjected to unfair treatment and violence, he convinces his audience that this needs to change.

King used pathos to help his audience see the perspective of Black Americans. He appealed to his audience's emotions by using concrete imagery that tugs at the heartstrings. In one image, he described "angry violent dogs literally biting six unarmed, nonviolent Negroes." This visual image of people being attacked humanizes the people that have been subjugated to terror. King deliberately chose striking images like this one to make his audience emotional and light a fire under them to make changes happen.

Martin Luther King Jr. used ethos by convincing his audience that he was an expert on the topic of civil rights. He begins the letter by establishing who he is and how he ended up in jail. He says, "So I am here, along with several members of my staff, because we were invited here. I am here because I have basic organizational ties here." The mention of his staff shows that King had a history of organizing for civil rights and that he was respected by the people he worked alongside. By referring to his team, he showed his solid character and used it as a persuasive tool. His thorough understanding of the topic proves that he had society's best interests in mind.

Fig. 3 - Martin Luther King Jr.'s words were so influential they were engraved at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“Letter from a Birmingham Jail” analysis

Martin Luther King Jr. created one of the most effective and important documents of the civil rights era from the confines of a jail cell. In it, he implements all three persuasive appeals to reach his audience and counter his critics: logos, pathos, and ethos.

Logos

A logical appeal depends on rational thought and concrete evidence. Logical arguments often use deductive reasoning, factual evidence, tradition or precedent, research, and authority. Let's examine this excerpt piece by piece. King Jr. says,

In this excerpt, King Jr. begins by using a concession.

In his concession, he acknowledges his respect for opposing views and his ability to recognize the validity of other opinions. It is disarming and takes away the opposition’s primary source of debate by addressing it immediately.

King then responds to this concession:

He then completes the counterargument by providing a refutation.

King Jr. refutes the central argument that he is willing to “break laws” by identifying that some laws are just while others are unjust.

He elaborates:

By establishing a clear delineation between just laws that uplift “human personality” and the law of segregation which “degrades,” King Jr. asserts that it is “out of harmony with the moral law.” His logical explanation as to why he is participating in protests is convincing to his audience.

Pathos

Pathos, an emotional appeal, relies on the audience’s emotional connection with the speaker or writer and the subject matter. It often involves connecting and understanding humankind’s physical, psychological, or social needs.

Fig. 4 - It is necessary to appeal to as many people as possible while making claims.

King Jr. uses emotional appeals in the following excerpt from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” We will examine it piece by piece.

King starts by using a metaphor to connect with his audience and express the pain of segregation.

The line “the stinging darts of segregation” expresses that the mental, emotional, and social damages of segregation are not merely skin deep and stick to someone's psyche.

King continues:

He describes poverty as an “airtight cage” in the middle of an “affluent society.” These descriptive comparisons help contextualize the pain and insult of segregation.

He further humanizes the damages of racial segregation by providing a concrete example of his daughter’s tears and the “clouds of inferiority...in her little mental sky.” The clouds block what would otherwise be an innocent girl and her self-esteem, making her believe the false narrative that she is less-than others simply because of the shade of her skin.

All of these examples appeal to the audience's emotions.

Ethos

An argument using ethos relies on personal integrity, good character, and credibility. Writers or speakers often restate opposing views accurately and fairly, align their ideas with relevant experts on the subject matter, and use a controlled tone to convey respect and level-headedness.

Martin Luther King Jr. uses ethos in the following excerpt from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”

Martin Luther King Jr. introduces himself and addresses the accusation that he is an outsider. Rather than negate the clergymen’s claim stated in the open letter, he uses the occasion to establish his credibility. He shows his authority by providing background information about himself, including his position as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

He continues:

King establishes his place in Birmingham by proving his organizational ties and showing credibility in keeping his “promise” to help an affiliate “engage in a nonviolent direct action program.” He reaches his audience by showing that he is merely acting responsibly by coming to Birmingham. He uses his character to counter his critics' claims that he doesn't belong there.

Fig. 5 - Martin Luther King Jr. now has a statue in Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, Alabama, because of his powerful words and persuasive techniques.

“Letter from a Birmingham Jail” quotes

Martin Luther King Jr. uses alliteration and imagery to establish his argument further and add substance to his words. These techniques, coupled with the persuasive appeals, make his letter particularly powerful and have cemented his words as some of the most influential in history.

Alliteration

Martin Luther King Jr. was a master at using sound devices like alliteration, perhaps because of his religious background, to add emphasis and detail.

Here is an example of alliteration in “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”

The repetition of the hard c sound emphasizes the words “creep” and “cup of coffee." The stressed words here were chosen to show that civil progress is happening casually, as creeping and having a cup of coffee are not quick movements. By using the hard c sound it accentuates the idea that Black Americans struggle for basic rights while other individuals have the privilege of being leisurely about progress.

Imagery

King Jr. also uses imagery to evoke pity and empathy from even the toughest critics.

Using strong visual imagery, King Jr. elicits compassion from his audience.

King Jr. uses active verbs and strong visual imagery like “harried,” “haunted,” and “living constantly at tiptoe stance” to show how uneasy and discomforting it is to be a Black American living in an oppressive society.