Martin Luther King does an excellent job of utilizing ethos, pathos, and logos to support his arguments in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. From the onset, he establishes his credibility (ethos) by laying out his credentials as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Next he begins his argument by logically (logos) answering the unspoken question of the Clergy whom he is addressing. Not only does Dr. King assert that he has a right to be there because he was invited, but he also makes the assertion that the country has become so interconnected that no American can be called an outsider in America.
Continuing his appeal to logos, Dr. King tells the story of how he and the other African American leaders had attempted to use all other means at their disposal to affect positive change with negligible results. As Dr. King argues quite logically, they had no other options except to either protest through nonviolent means or let the injustice continue. And the latter, as he points out quite forcefully, is an option they cannot accept.
Dr. King steps away from abstract logic to attack emotionally with both barrels. With such phrases as “when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers and drown your sister and brothers at whim” and “when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters”, Dr. King dramatizes the plight of those he is fighting for. How can you deny the awfulness of the horribly true scene he is painting?
While utilizing pathos and logos to build and strengthen his argument, Dr. King continues to lay the groundwork which any argument inevitably rests on: the credibility of its author. By backing up his arguments with quotes from famous historical figures, Dr. King shows that his ideas are not as extreme as they sound. For instance, when Dr. King proposes that some laws are just and others unjust and that while the just ones should be obeyed the unjust ones should be intentionally broken, he quotes St. Augustine as saying “an unjust law is not law at all”. The fact that a prominent historical religious figure supports his idea makes the concept of blatantly breaking unjust laws sound not quite as extreme as it would if he was the only one suggesting it.
Back on the argument side, Dr. King makes a strong logical and emotional argument that moderates should support him as a fellow moderate who is standing in the middle between unending injustice and a national bloodbath.
Later, when criticizing the inaction and even hostility of the church, Dr. King points out that he loves the church and is a minister himself, which gives him a certain amount of clout where the church is concerned. He isn't just some random person who hates religion; the very fact that he believes in the church is the reason he is so disappointed in it.
When responding to the claims that the policemen should be thanked for honorably and peacefully ending the demonstrations, Dr. King creates an emotional effect by comparing the cruelty of the policemen with the quite heroism of the demonstrators. By juxtaposing phrases such as “watch (the police) punch and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls” and “commended the Negro sit-inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation”, Dr. King points out who the real heroes and villains are. Just a hint: the heroes aren't the policemen.
In a final attempt to make his point and increase his credibility, Dr. King closes his letter with the words, “yours for the cause of peace and brotherhood, Martin Luther King Jr.”. One last time, he brings up the heart of what he is trying to accomplish and connects his name to such noble aspirations as peace and brotherhood. Thus ends a letter that seems to cover his arguments, his opponent's arguments, and the arguments of the guy down the street from A to Z.
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