Name: Date: Block: "Letter from Birmingham Jail" Discussion Questions 1. In the "Letter from Birmingham jail" King defends the lawfulness of protesting, breaking the law in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation and racism. Which of King's three reasons for being in Birmingham is supported by this distinction between just and unjust laws. That is, until he was confined to the vapid monotony of the cell in Birmingham jail, that he decided to ponder a letter sent to him by eight Alabama clergymen, who censured his nonviolent campaign and urged him to leave the battle for racial equality to the courts. -- Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.. Martin Luther King concludes his letter by stating the "dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away" and " tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation" (king). draw the sympathy of the religious community and moderate whites. 62% average accuracy. Lines 104-108: What other seminal document does King refer to in this paragraph? Q. The statutes are disrespectful and offencive and King and the other Negroes think they should be. King's tone was more humbled and apologetic . This letter was in response to one written by church leaders in Birmingham condemning the actions of Martin Luther King Jr. and his compatriots. (2020, November 28). 2 years ago. The primary source chosen is the Letter From a Birmingham Jail, written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 8th - 12th grade. must. In addition to showing the similarities between himself and Paul, Dr. King shows the irony of the clergymens comments and their affiliation with the church. Thought they are a result, the protests themselves, King point out in this line. In this letter, Martin Luther King Jr. uses persuasion to show that the clergymen and the church should be ashamed of themselves for discontinuing his nonviolent protest. Analyzes how martin luther king, jr. used allusions from credible sources to emphasize how his view point is widespread. The letter is entitle "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". (B) climb King writes this letter to respond to the eight Clergy men who put him in jail. Why are concrete examples such as those King provides important here? In response, he calls for direct action in a nonviolent way. Finally, King claims he hopes that change and equality will eventually bring everyone together and unite the world for the U.S. Author of Letter from a Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. Metaphor a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. The database is updated daily, so anyone can easily find a relevant essay example. C. It seems peaceful, traditional, and clean. Thats exactly what happens in Birmingham. D. It seems diseased, barren, and isolated. MLK addresses this by integrating a biblical allusion. Question 2 30 seconds Q. submit it as your own as it will be considered plagiarism. 10). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote this Open Letter on April 16, 1963, after he was arrested for protesting without a permit in Birmingham, Alabama. Eight white clergymen(of the south(including Birmingham). King opposed this institutional racism in employment, housing, and local administration of education, welfare, and criminal justice. In his letter, King made several allusions and references to the Bible and historical events, along with several figures of speech to compare himself to those figures and events. The "Letter" was his relentless rebuttal. Dr. King hoped to shed light on the reasoning be hide the protesting and explain why the protesting needed to take place and at such an untimely time. He also believed that violence would ruin the chances for change. King doesn't want the contagious existence of injustice from spreading. Letter from Birmingham Jail Summary & Analysis Next Themes Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis Martin Luther King, Jr. directs his letter to the eight white clergymen who publicly condemned his actions in Birmingham, Alabama. The effect on the audience? There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than any city in this nation. This letter was filled with reasons why the blacks should not be told to wait for their change, which is why the strongest paragraph in Kings letter would be on page 6 when King mentioned that the blacks are always told by white leaders that if they wait, they will finally gain their rights. " This is the beginning of Kings letter to the clergymen that was over 6,000 words long. In this letter, he addressed several criticisms that were being made about him and his movement. LURK By using this logical appeal, King demonstrates that the clergymen should not be condemning the effects, but rather blaming the triggers of the discontentment within the black community. Create a storyboard that shows examples of ethos, pathos, and logos from the text. Philosophy that individuals bear responsibility for their own actions, Refers to the spirit of the times; the general feel of an era. In his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Dr. King makes it clear he is worth listening to , or presents an ethos appeal, by incorporating Allusions Ethos and Allusion Allusion Speaker refers either directly or indirectly to a person, event, or thing in history Allusion Allusion and Ethos Working Together Examples In the same manner, King believed that people could unite to combat oppression. 9th - 11th grade. In 1963, Martin Luther King was imprisoned in Birmingham because of his protesting contributes. Dealing with continued disappointment over segregation and mistreatment in the south, King organizes a march that ends with his arrest and criticism from white religious leaders. How does concluding sentence address audience? Negroes who have adjusted and profited from segregation, both not doing anything to halt segregation. He makes that reference to address the accusations of extremism, according to an Internet source. He makes several references to many historical events that occurred. Explain your reasoning. IvyPanda. King's tone is almost disgusted from the fact that the clergymen even dared to condescend his actions. The supreme court ruling of 1954(Brown vs. Board of Edu.). The "letter of Birmingham Jail" was written by Martin Luther King on April 16, 1963. King, in response, drafted his most powerful and extensive letter against social injustice that shed light on the atrocities taking place in Birmingham, Through the act of peaceful protest without a permit in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in the city of Birmingham, Alabama. King's Allusion in "Letter From Birmingham Jail". Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. The white clergymen who conveyed objection to King's actions, felt that his actions was breaking the law and causing chaos. This essay on Kings Allusion in Letter From Birmingham Jail was written and submitted by your fellow ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. Consult a dictionary if necessary. The letter also stresses themes of unity among brothers in order to overcome racism. He then provides a list of allusions that support his claim. He embraced a more coercive non violent strategy to address this issue, which is, Its unjust treatment of Negroes in the courts is a notorious (well-known) reality. He adopts an urgent tone in order to establish that he is tired of waiting for change to occur in his clergymen readers. Because all of the statutes are unjust, King thinks that they should be removed. Decades after Kings I Have a Dream speech and Letter for Birmingham Jail, his teachings about racial injustice are, in some ways, still present today. Lines 14-23: What is a religious reason King gives on this page? He captivates the audience by stating what was happening to his fellow companions: the ways the whites were taking advantage of the blacks. Dr. King wanted to end segregation and he also wanted equal rights for everyone, but he was told by the clergyman that the movement was unwise and untimely. Save. Q. I printed this out and deleted the document (as I did the others); however, in the future if this is a requirement, I will post the text. Dr. King also uses one of Jesus quotes when he did his Sermon on the Mount. Burning of houses and churches were the hard, brutal, and unbelievable facts of that time, a time known as the Civil Rights Era. This letter serves as a purpose to apply the need for love and brotherhood towards one another and avoid all the unjust laws. According to King, the purpose of direct nonviolent action is to. Letter from Birmingham Jail is addressed to several clergymen who had written an open letter criticizing the actions of Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during their protests in Birmingham. Af. Explain this criticism, and his response to itwhat is his rationale for being there? He uses imagery and sets up his character to not only unify people, but to also to separate groups. In A Letter From A Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr defends his use of nonviolent protest in order to accomplish racial equality. Writing assignment letter from birmingham jail, A Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Analysis, Letter from Birmingham Jail Allusion Essay, An Analysis of Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. After being arrested in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, King wrote a response to the eight clergymen who questioned his ways. Martin Luther King Jr. writes the Clergymen that have written him a letter disputing his actions in Birmingham. I feel as though protesters should have the right to defend themselves against their oppressors. 16th President of U.S who abolished slavery. Historical And Biblical Allusions In Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail 804 Words | 4 Pages. community precipitated violence and must be condemned. In that same vein, the clergymen deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. Ibid., 2. 2 years ago. "Languished in filthy roach-infested jails, suffering the abuse and brutality of angry policemen" Even though the white people went through all that, they still support the cause. One more allusion was made to Socrates to explicate the need for action. The 1954 supreme court decision and the law of God(bible). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" on April 16, 1963. For example, he stated Was not John Bunyan an extremist? We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. answer choices. 2). (Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz 163). You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Letter From Birmingham Jail. In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. Retrieved from https://graduateway.com/allusions-from-letter-from-a-birmingham-jail/, Response to Letter From a Birmingham Jail, The Power of Words: How Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Changed America, Letter To Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis Studying Ethos, Martin Luther King.