HI All, This is my first post, also my first writing about textual analysis. I don't feel good with this essay, but dont know why too. Please help me with this.
prompts: Analyze "Letter of Birmingham Jail" in any aspect you can
The spirit of revolutionary change, which has long been disturbing sleeping societies, shakes the core of what Martin Luther King Jr. calls "obnoxious negative peace." King's legacy of exceptional devotion to social justice and true peace is manifested in "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Much like the Apostle Paul, an authority that King reference, King writes with conviction and fervor. In his eloquent yet powerful letter King uses several rhetorical devices to make his point that "justice too long delayed, is justice denied." By addressing the clergymen's arguments and appealing to their emotion, logic, and ethos, he demonstrates to them that the time for action is now.
Martin Luther King Jr. wrote "Letter of Birmingham Jail" as a response to white Alabama clergymen who criticized his action as "unwise and untimely." They published a fierce criticism about King's organization and participation in the protest march again segregation in Birmingham. King's letter does not attempt to persuade the clergymen to side with civil rights activists, but rather to explain to them the need for direct action, open their eyes to the suffering of the Negro community, and that humanity as whole is interrelated. King also explains the need for tension, though only through nonviolent means, a tension that will force society to confront the present social injustice head on. He rejects on being called an outsider not only because he was invited to Birmingham but because humanity has an "inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny."
Throughout the essay King not only addresses the clergymen's concern such as him being an outsider coming in, the protests being "unwise and timely," but he also anticipates further questions. The clergymen had urge for negotiations, instead of direct action, but King wanted to show that direct action is necessary to reach negotiation. Not only did he made argument for this point but he did by first anticipating questions that they may have such as" 'Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?'" King address concerns from the opposition throughout his whole essay such as: "You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws," "You speak of our activity in Birmingham as extreme." By addressing their concerns in a fair and rational way, he is showing his readers that he gave great thought to their point of view and is taking them seriously.
Jailed under the premise of "disturbing the peace," King responds to fellow religious leaders by laying out the authority by which his group came to Birmingham. He was not only invited here, but he has organizational affiliation with those hosting the demonstration. Not only is there a secular purpose but King also states a divine purpose/authority. In one of his many biblical references he writes: "Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village...so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid." Not only is King responding to an invitation he is following in the footsteps of the prophets, figures that these clergymen respect and are well acquainted with. Aside from biblical authorities King also uses historical figures that have shaped human history and thought. King justifies the need for tension in the Birmingham by liken it to Socrates teaching on the need for tension in the mind so individual can confront half-truths and rise to freedom.
King's many appeals to authorities such as the Supreme Court, Socrates, Abraham Lincoln, and Tillich proof him to not only be a well read man, but one that base his opinions on the teachings of superior minds. There is a higher law than what the local authorities of Birmingham dictates; there exists a moral law, a code of ethics that one must judge his actions by. If the only thing that differentiates right and wrong is legality then what Adolf Hitler did in Germany was legal and what the Hungarian freedom fighters did was illegal in Hungary.
Perhaps one of the most moving passages in this essay is when he described what it is like to be an African American at the time. After 340 years the Negro community is still waiting for their Constitutional rights, still have 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 Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky." There is a need to take action to restore human dignity for no one deserves to called "nigger" or "boy" as if it were their names. Experiences like this should incur sympathy from everyone let alone men of God, how could anyone stand in silence while human dignity is being debased right in their back yard. Just as the Jews have waited for a promise land and be freed from their oppressors so are all the minorities of America waiting for the promise land of "racial justice." It would strike me to the core to be compared to biblical oppressors such as the Egyptians or Babylonians.
As passionate as King was about social justice and desegregation, he did not let his emotions get the best of him for his letter if not anything else it was logical. He made sure the clergymen understood that their criticism is of great importance to him for he does not waste his time to respond to every criticism. He also wanted them to understand that the protest is not the action of a heated moment but that is well thought out, "We decided to schedule our direct-action program for the Easter season, realizing that, except for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Knowing that a strong economic withdrawal program would be the by-product of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change." The idea is to bring pressure to change and the endure brutality even unto non-retaliation.
Obviously, laws are essential to the continuing and orderly function of society. However law can be just and unjust and those that are unjust are contrary to the welfare of a nation's citizens. King gave concrete examples of what is a just law and what is an unjust law and how to tell the difference between them. Through logic he is able to demonstrate how we can balance between the ideas of being obedience to the law and how the law can be wrong. In this way he shows that he is not being contradictory in following the Supreme Court's ruling in 1954 but not the laws in Birmingham.
"Be the change you want to see in the world," these words from Mahatma Gandhi truly describe Martin Luther King. He was the epitome of social justice, of desegregation, and honoring human dignity through nonviolent means. He wanted a world with peace so he suffered without retaliating, and he wanted a world that confronted its frailties so he peaceful protests to bring awareness. "Letter from Birmingham Jail," appeals to the logical, intellectual, and human in all of us.
prompts: Analyze "Letter of Birmingham Jail" in any aspect you can
The spirit of revolutionary change, which has long been disturbing sleeping societies, shakes the core of what Martin Luther King Jr. calls "obnoxious negative peace." King's legacy of exceptional devotion to social justice and true peace is manifested in "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Much like the Apostle Paul, an authority that King reference, King writes with conviction and fervor. In his eloquent yet powerful letter King uses several rhetorical devices to make his point that "justice too long delayed, is justice denied." By addressing the clergymen's arguments and appealing to their emotion, logic, and ethos, he demonstrates to them that the time for action is now.
Martin Luther King Jr. wrote "Letter of Birmingham Jail" as a response to white Alabama clergymen who criticized his action as "unwise and untimely." They published a fierce criticism about King's organization and participation in the protest march again segregation in Birmingham. King's letter does not attempt to persuade the clergymen to side with civil rights activists, but rather to explain to them the need for direct action, open their eyes to the suffering of the Negro community, and that humanity as whole is interrelated. King also explains the need for tension, though only through nonviolent means, a tension that will force society to confront the present social injustice head on. He rejects on being called an outsider not only because he was invited to Birmingham but because humanity has an "inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny."
Throughout the essay King not only addresses the clergymen's concern such as him being an outsider coming in, the protests being "unwise and timely," but he also anticipates further questions. The clergymen had urge for negotiations, instead of direct action, but King wanted to show that direct action is necessary to reach negotiation. Not only did he made argument for this point but he did by first anticipating questions that they may have such as" 'Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?'" King address concerns from the opposition throughout his whole essay such as: "You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws," "You speak of our activity in Birmingham as extreme." By addressing their concerns in a fair and rational way, he is showing his readers that he gave great thought to their point of view and is taking them seriously.
Jailed under the premise of "disturbing the peace," King responds to fellow religious leaders by laying out the authority by which his group came to Birmingham. He was not only invited here, but he has organizational affiliation with those hosting the demonstration. Not only is there a secular purpose but King also states a divine purpose/authority. In one of his many biblical references he writes: "Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village...so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid." Not only is King responding to an invitation he is following in the footsteps of the prophets, figures that these clergymen respect and are well acquainted with. Aside from biblical authorities King also uses historical figures that have shaped human history and thought. King justifies the need for tension in the Birmingham by liken it to Socrates teaching on the need for tension in the mind so individual can confront half-truths and rise to freedom.
King's many appeals to authorities such as the Supreme Court, Socrates, Abraham Lincoln, and Tillich proof him to not only be a well read man, but one that base his opinions on the teachings of superior minds. There is a higher law than what the local authorities of Birmingham dictates; there exists a moral law, a code of ethics that one must judge his actions by. If the only thing that differentiates right and wrong is legality then what Adolf Hitler did in Germany was legal and what the Hungarian freedom fighters did was illegal in Hungary.
Perhaps one of the most moving passages in this essay is when he described what it is like to be an African American at the time. After 340 years the Negro community is still waiting for their Constitutional rights, still have 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 Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky." There is a need to take action to restore human dignity for no one deserves to called "nigger" or "boy" as if it were their names. Experiences like this should incur sympathy from everyone let alone men of God, how could anyone stand in silence while human dignity is being debased right in their back yard. Just as the Jews have waited for a promise land and be freed from their oppressors so are all the minorities of America waiting for the promise land of "racial justice." It would strike me to the core to be compared to biblical oppressors such as the Egyptians or Babylonians.
As passionate as King was about social justice and desegregation, he did not let his emotions get the best of him for his letter if not anything else it was logical. He made sure the clergymen understood that their criticism is of great importance to him for he does not waste his time to respond to every criticism. He also wanted them to understand that the protest is not the action of a heated moment but that is well thought out, "We decided to schedule our direct-action program for the Easter season, realizing that, except for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Knowing that a strong economic withdrawal program would be the by-product of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change." The idea is to bring pressure to change and the endure brutality even unto non-retaliation.
Obviously, laws are essential to the continuing and orderly function of society. However law can be just and unjust and those that are unjust are contrary to the welfare of a nation's citizens. King gave concrete examples of what is a just law and what is an unjust law and how to tell the difference between them. Through logic he is able to demonstrate how we can balance between the ideas of being obedience to the law and how the law can be wrong. In this way he shows that he is not being contradictory in following the Supreme Court's ruling in 1954 but not the laws in Birmingham.
"Be the change you want to see in the world," these words from Mahatma Gandhi truly describe Martin Luther King. He was the epitome of social justice, of desegregation, and honoring human dignity through nonviolent means. He wanted a world with peace so he suffered without retaliating, and he wanted a world that confronted its frailties so he peaceful protests to bring awareness. "Letter from Birmingham Jail," appeals to the logical, intellectual, and human in all of us.
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