The tone of the first paragraph is both certain and direct. Dr. King does not express any hesitation in this paragraph; he displays a sense of urgency and importance through his choice of diction. Dr. King was firm about his decision to write the letter and that criticism would not stop him from doing so. This can be seen through the firm and decisive word choice.
It can be argued that the first paragraph creates a sense of irony. Dr. King states “If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, I would have no time for constructive work” in this paragraph. This is ironic as the letter was written while he was in jail, where he did not have secretaries. In addition, the letter’s intention was to address the criticisms and negative comments directed at him, and he expressed how he was unable to address such comments.
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Dr. King’s usage of biblical allusions provides an appeal to both ethos and pathos. To many, religion is very emotional and personal, which appeals to pathos. The biblical allusions do not just appeal to pathos on the surface. For example, he claimed that “was not Jesus an extremist for love… was not Amos an extremist for justice...was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel…” (King 1352). Through this statement, he mentions several emotions that demonstrate a passion for religion in a similar way to the passion of protestors who were a part of the civil rights movement.
He uses theologians and other scholars and their contributions in the letter. He refers to St.Thomas Aquinas who said that “an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.” He also agrees with St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all.” The mention of St. Thomas Aquinas appeals to ethos as it proves that Dr. King is knowledgeable about religious figures, making him a reliable source of religious facts. Not only that, but the saint himself can be considered an authoritative figure which also appeals to ethos.
Dr. King was a known preacher, and this automatically provides some credibility. One way Dr. King established credibility was by stating that he was President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He continued to express the significance of his role, claiming that there are 85 smaller organizations that are affiliated with the Leadership organization. Dr. King also spoke about some aspects of the Jewish faith; by addressing both, he appealed to a large religious audience. He also appeals to ethos by illustrating his own experiences which gives him credibility to talk about the issues at hand.
In addition to the Birmingham clergymen, King addresses the white moderate. They are “more devoted to order than to justice and constantly say ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action’ ” (King 1350). According to King, they played a large role in the restriction of freedoms for African Americans. He also mentioned that he was disappointed with the white church and its leadership because instead of its leaders being allies to the important cause, they ended up being some of the strongest opponents by remaining quiet.
The usage of the word “when” introduces a new instance of discrimination and segregation. These examples place the reader in his shoes, each clause illustrating another one of his experiences. As the audience follows along, it feels like statements are never-ending. This is extremely powerful as African Americans at the time felt the same way. Dr. King was successful in providing countless examples that demonstrated what it was like to be living in fear, to see the horrors faced by friends and family, and the acknowledge that they might be next.
The order of the statements is extremely significant in getting Dr. King’s message across. At the beginning of the sentence, statements are broad. As the sentence progresses, it gets more and more personal, intense, and emotional. By the end of the sentence, an individual is stripped of their identity, becoming just another nobody. If the statements were in a different order, the message would not be nearly as powerful. Dr. King presented it in a way that shows the large-scale effects and then zooms in on the effects faced by the individual. This places emphasis on the fact that each and every person is fighting their battle in a different way. Had the order of the clauses been different, Dr. King would be displaying the issues faced by the entire group, weakening his argument and the message as a whole.
There are several recurring themes throughout the letter, including a tug between light and dark. The imagery in King’s writing demonstrates the dark and light in terms of the evil of segregation and the goal of freedom. He says that “they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation - and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop.” (King 1355). King closes his letter with another example by stating “Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away …. and the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation” (King 1357). The use of figurative language throughout the letter keeps the audience engaged and enhances the message.
The imagery of the word garment at the beginning of the letter refers to how everyone is tied together as if woven like fabric. King says “We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny” (King 1346). He further explains this to mean that what affects one person or community, affects others indirectly. This supports the idea that the civil rights movement affected not just the suffering African Americans, but also the entire nation.
King’s arguments in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” center around the themes of religion and patriotism. He speaks of freedom, oppression, the right to vote, segregation, and integration of blacks in American society. He claimed: “The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro” (King 1352). This example is one of the many in which King linked the importance of civil rights to the progress of the country. King placed slightly more emphasis on patriotism than religion, most likely because it applied to the entire nation, not just those with Christian or other religious affiliations.
Although they are both expressed at length, King focuses on the theme of patriotism to appeal to a large audience. In making his arguments, he weaves the message of just and unjust, suffering, patience, and understanding, which are all religious bases. He does this in order to express to the white majority that what the African-American community seeks to accomplish is to have the same rights and to be treated like everyone else. King stated: “Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with America’s destiny.” (King 1355). In saying this, he urged for change that would not just impact a specific group within the United States, but rather the entire nation.
Dr. King writes as a member of several communities. He refers to himself as the President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Most importantly he spoke of himself as a black man and part of the community which has been discriminated against and segregated, despite all the contributions made by this community to the growth of the United States. King was a smart and cultured man, as well as a man of God as he was a preacher like his father and grandfather. His experience was reflected in his intelligence, as seen when he explained the steps to a successful nonviolent protest (King 1346).
Dr. King also wrote as a member of the religious community. He included numerous references to religious figures and events which appeals to ethos by showing that he was knowledgeable about the Christian faith. For example, he claimed, “It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake” (King 1350). In stating this, King shows his extensive religious knowledge and ties it back to his message by mentioning moral law. He provides evidence like this to show that he not only is a part of the religious community but has authority due to his position as a preacher.
King addresses multiple counterarguments before he addresses his own argument. By refuting claims made against him before introducing his own argument, his message was more likely to resonate with the audience. A prior letter from the eight clergymen criticized King’s presence in Birmingham and his strategy of a nonviolent campaign; King refuted this with the argument that they would continue to fight to accomplish their goal, to the extent where being an extremist would be beneficial. King stated that “perhaps the South, the nation, and the world are in dire need of creative extremists” (King 1353). King believed that an individual must wholeheartedly believe in their cause to create change, and this is demonstrated through the idea of being an extremist.
He was in Birmingham because there was injustice there. He had been invited to help the community and hoped that the religious leadership would “see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, would serve as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power structure” (King 1354). This claim supported his argument that extreme change was necessary due to the fact that even small change was unsuccessful.
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