Topic > Analysis of rhetorical strategies in Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail

Dr. Martin Luther King's letter from Birmingham Jail came as a response to his critics, especially clergymen who denounced all his activities saying they amounted to incitement and disorder in society. However, King addressed all of their concerns and stated that his actions were in the best interests of society, including those who opposed him. To this end, the letter from prison was intended to explain to the public his motivations for activism and resistance to the government's rule. In fact, he used this letter as a communication tool to convince the public that his acts were well informed and that he cared about them more than his own interest. In this sense, there are several interesting aspects that King integrated into the letter to convey his message across divisions. These argumentative strategies helped reinforce his message across audiences, thus challenging his critics' notion that he was using such resistance to sabotage the government. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Primarily, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr relied on the use of allusion to lend credence to his actions and to further reaffirm his position regarding the civil disobedience he was advocating for in America. In providing answers to the clergy, King alluded to some philosophers whose ideologies were perfectly in tune with his position on equality and freedom from oppression. Some of the philosophers he alluded to include Socrates and Aquinas. MLK steered clear of this issue and challenged critics to read the works of these philosophers, which he believed would significantly change their attitudes toward him. The use of allusion was a powerful strategy that King adopted to persuade the public and clergy that his struggle was propagated by a desire to liberate the public against the imperial government that recognized only a few white elites. In particular, King's argument is based on Kantian ethics, which I believe played a vital role in swaying the public towards him. Both Kantian and King's ideologies were goal-fixed; the civil rights movement as a way to ensure complete freedom. Aside from the allusions used, MLK utilizes the use of ethics to effectively communicate his agenda to the clergy. In this letter, King introduces it by imploring the priests first and flatly reiterates that “My dear fellow priests.” This quoted statement implies a common point. Although the priests called his action imprudent and uncalled for, King wished to ethically appeal to their emotions simply by putting himself on par with the clergy. Using an ethical appeal by referring to the contending clerics as fellow priests, King wished to develop a more nuanced approach to appealing to the clergy and re-exposing their position that he was contributing to lawlessness in the region. Furthermore, King stated that he was in Birmingham for a legitimate course and, due to the ongoing injustice, he decided to risk everything for the people. Such sentiments have a special appeal in relation to the region's long-standing social imbalances and violence. Additionally, King relies on logos to attract his audience, who were initially unconvinced by his roadmap to fight inequality in the region. However, King uses various logical appeals and explains some historical figures who were in his circumstances, but later managed to complete their missions. To.