Martin Luther King Jr. :: Racism MLK History Historican Essays

Martin Luther great power Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was definitely an influential speaker and writer. He was able to go away people with his ideas and words. In his letter from the Birmingham jail he was trying to pronounce people of the injustices that African Americans were experiencing at this time. His audience was mainly the clergymen of the church. Since almost Americans at this time believed that African Americans were uneducated and not on the same train as white Americans, MLK had to prove otherwise. MLK did this by using strong grandiosity in his speeches and letters. Two of the rhetoric styles that I feel was most effective were his use of logic and pathos. MLK knew that if he was going to make an impression on his audience he was going to have to bring his A game. On varlet 182 we see some of MLK first usage of logos. He states that he is in Birmingham because of the injustice that is occurring on that point. He compares this to when the prophets in the eighth ce ntury B.C. leave their homes to spread the word of Christ. He also compares himself to Paul, when he carried the word of deliveryman Christ to the Greco-Roman world. I feel this is important for his letter because most of his audience was clergymen, and it also shows the importance of his message and also him being there in Birmingham. On the next page he breaks down the performance and steps in a nonviolent campaign. MLK also does a level-headed job of showing his emotions through pathos. He compliments his readers on page 182 by telling them that they are wise men and men of trustworthy good will. Another time when MLK uses pathos that stands out at me is on page 186 when he states that he has to explain to his six year older daughter that she cant attend fun world because the color of her skin. He also says Its hurts him when he can see the clouds of