Introduction: Critique of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Critique of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is ofletter written by Martin Luther King on April 16, 1963 to the eight clergymen to whom he addresses as his “Dear Fellow Clergymen” in the salutation of his letter to answer the letter they wrote for him. In this letter, Martin Luther King has concluded after reading this letter that his fellow clergymen have written him about two points: one they are opposing the direct action he is leading in Birmingham, and that they oppose “demonstrations by some of our negro friends”, because they feel that this is not justified in any way (“Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen”). As they have not approved the direction action and demonstrations that Martin Luther King was leading in Birmingham, he wants to clarify the depth of the situation of segregation in Birmingham where it is more suppressing them the other areas in the South. Martin Luther King assumes that he is addressing white moderate people who are also advising him and his friends to exercise restraint and wait for the appropriate time. Based on these ground realities as well as assumptions, Martin Luther King uses all rhetorical devices of ethos, pathos, logos, figures of speech and various other supporting details to keeping his audience in loop and convey the message in best suitable manner.
Strategies in Critique of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
As far as strategies are concerned, Martin Luther King has used almost all the classical devices as his strategies. He asserts his own leading role as his ethos. He has led various organizations and make the audience realize that he is now “President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference” (King). He has said it because the clergymen have accused him to inciting hatred and violence. Therefore, it is importance to maintain his status as a president to inform them that he is not an uneducated and common fellow. Regarding ethos, James D. Williams argue that it comprises of “the character, the customs, the deeds, and the life, of those on who do the pleading” matters the most (350). King is a perfect example of ethos according to James Williams. He does this to make his audience realize that he is at the place of an authority. Secondly, he has extensively quoted Christian saints such as Apostle Paul, Jesus Christ, St. Augustine and others to bring home his audience. This shows that he is not the first person to speak about it and that he knows how to support his argument with authorities. He then compares the situation of the African American with that of the early Christians and even with the great Socrates. This is the use of logos where he supports his argument through comparison and contrast. Martin Luther King has also mentioned in his letter that the time is right, which means that he is using a classical device of kairos which is about the use of right time for an argument.
Pathos in Critique of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
However, the most effective is the use of pathos or the use of emotions to attract his audience. This he has done in most of the parts in his letter moreover in one full paragraph by dilating how the kids feel about “when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Fun town is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five year old son who is asking: “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?”; when you take a cross county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you” (King). This is the best use of pathos in which he arouses the emotions of his audience. Martin Lee Roy, while commenting on the use of rhetorical devices and strategies used by Martin Luther King, says that “The reader is forced to concede that serious injustices must be addressed without delay” (Roy). Besides this, he also uses figurative language to make his language beautiful and effective. For example, he uses a very powerful metaphor “There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged over into an abyss of injustice”. These strategies have made his argument very strong and impactful.
Evidences in Critique of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Moreover, he has validated his strategies with relevant data and quotes. He has quoted not only Christian priests, fathers and laws but also Grecian sages such as Socrates and dictators such as Adolf Hitler to make his argument strong. Steven Lynn has beautifully summed up this ability of Martin Luther to find material and use quotes at an appropriate time and place in saying that “topics in a classical rhetoric are a bit like a search engine, pointing the speaker or writer to where material might be found” (77). In order to validate his strategy further, he quotes from statutes and laws citing the example of the Supreme Court Decision of 1954 which state that segregation at public places is illegal. Perhaps King is citing this to show the clergymen when they are urging others that a “cause should be pressed in the courts” (“Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen”). Here Martin Luther King has compared this decision of the Supreme Court with their own opinion about seeking justice from the court to show the logic behind his action. It could also be a reference to forbidding King from holding protests as Michael Leff says that “the city’s attorneys obtained an injunction from the federal court forbidding King and others from sponsoring, encouraging, or participating in a demonstration” (Leff). However, the best validation has come through the use of rhetorical question which he has extensively used at various places such as “Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth?” In fact, Martin Luther King has used these features to make his argument more convincing and attract the attention of the audience toward his argument.
Audience of Critique of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
The audience for this piece are mostly the clergymen to whom he has addressed in the salutation. However, with them, he is also addressing the common African American people and the white moderates who are constantly making the African American activist to wait for a suitable time. Although it seems that Martin Luther King is addressing the common public in front of him, it is a fact that he is addressing all eight clergymen and responding to their arguments though S. Jonathan Bass says that the letter “seemed more like a sermon than a correspondence and was meant for a larger audience than those addressed” and those addressed are surely the clergymen who wrote him a letter (120). With them, he is addressing every other American who is a true Christian or a true American and believes in freedom, liberty and equality as pronounced in the Constitution. He has also addressed his black brothers who have worked with him for this movement and advised them to be non-violent in every way.
Conclusion: Critique of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
In short, Martin Luther King has used various classical and recent strategies to make his arguments powerful. The power of his argument lies only in the use of strategies but validity and quotations from different sources and authorities to make his language powerful and effective. He has also used various linguistic features to make his argument convincing. Martin Luther King clearly knows not only his audience but also knows what to use to make his argument to target that audience. He has also made his language convincing by keeping the matter of time in mind that it is the right time to make his argument. It is because Martin Luther King has sensed that time the opportunity has arrived to take direct action after they follow the other three steps “collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification” as he mentioned in his letter (King). That is why he has mentioned that direct action is now the right move to take in the protest against segregation in the United States in response to the pacifism that these eight clergymen are touting in their letter.
Works Cited: Argument Critique of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
- Bass, S. Jonathan. Blessed are the Peacemakers: Martin Luther King, Jr., Eight White Religious Leaders, and the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” LSU Press. 2001. Print.
- King, Martin Luther. “Letter from Birminghan.” UPENN. 16 Apr. 1963. https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html. Accessed on 07 Jun. 2022.
- Leff, Michael. “ISSA Proceedings 2002 – Rhetoric and Dialectic in Martin Luther King’s ‘Letter From Birmingham Jail.” Rozenberg Quarterly. n. d. Web. http://rozenbergquarterly.com/issa-proceedings-2002-rhetoric-and-dialectic-in-martin-luther-kings-letter-from-birmingham-jail/. Accessed on 07 Jun. 2022.
- Lynn, Steven. Rhetoric and Composition: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press. 2010.
- Martin, Lee Roy. “Letter from Birmingham City Jail.” Masterplots, Fourth Edition, November 2010, pp. 1-2. EBSCOhost, //search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=103331MP420939820000649&site=ehost-live. Accessed on 07 Jun. 2022.
- “Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen.” Mass Resistance. http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09a/mlk_day/statement.html. Accessed on 07 Jun. 2022.
- Williams, James D. An Introduction to Classical Rhetoric: Essential Readings. John Wiley & Sons. 2009. Print.
Relevant Questions about Argument Critique of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
- How effectively does the author of the argument critique of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”? use strategies?
- What specific examples and evidence does the critique employ to support its claims about the strengths or weaknesses in Martin Luther King Jr.’s reasoning and rhetorical strategies in the letter?
- In what ways does the argument critique address the historical and social context surrounding “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” and how does this contextual analysis contribute to the overall evaluation of King’s arguments?