Monday, December 10, 2012
The Beauty of "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
One of the most cited documents in contemporary American letters, "Letter from Birmingham Jail" features line after line of memorable prose. Which section did you enjoy most and/or find most appealing? Why? Please be sure to cite at least one line and explain your reasoning in detail, using 7-10 sentences.
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Page 587, “Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.” This was one of my favorite parts of the letter, because it discusses failure, explaining to those who don’t want to listen and being an outcast amongst the majority. When you try and something doesn’t work out, one whishes they did not try at all. When aiming for equality and justice it seems no one is listening to King, or they tell him to wait. These few sentences hold much more information that one would find by quickly reading through this 15 page letter. It seems King, his peers and followers are halfway to achieving their goal, but then something always sets them back making the goal seem unachievable. He doles readers a bit of advice, don’t be afraid to advocate for something you believe is right or more simply try.
ReplyDeleteTo pick a favorite part of "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is like to pick a favorite out of your own children, the letter is undescribingly well written. The section I found most appealing was the 2nd paragraph on page 584. This was the most enjoyable part of the piece to me because it answered "Why should people be more urgent in the pursuit of civil rights?" .I also am fond of the fact that it included anecdotes that people that he knew and loved were involved because made the piece more personal.Though they not as prevalent , sadly I noticed parallels between the examples Dr.King used and the society we live in today. The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is has a very diverse in its use of logos, pathos, and ethos ,but I think the most powerful application of logos was in this paragraph when Dr.King writes "We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights." This really stressed the urgency of Black people in America gaining their rights. It made me think about the long road that Black people in the United States have traveled as a nation just to be treated as a human being worthy of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
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Though we cannot fully answer this question I would like to know How "Letter from Birmingham Jail" might have been written differently if Dr.King was not in jail or if this beautiful piece of literature would have even been written?
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ReplyDeleteMy favorite line/section from “Letter From a Birmingham Jail,” was when Dr. King said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” The reason why I liked this section was that many people believe that since they are not on the receiving end of oppression, or as he said are not directly affected by it, feel they do not have to help/participate in attaining social justice, or do not have a role whatsoever. Yet in reality, the voices/help of people who have privilege, and are not directly affected by it, can be critical, and possibly the most important piece of reaching justice. Like Dr. King said, we are tied together in a “single garment of destiny,” and unraveling ourselves from this destiny of togetherness is ultimately “inescapable.”
ReplyDeletePersonally, I find the section in which MLK explains the significance and inferiority of what the word "wait" means in this particular case the most appealing. I find this section particularly appealing because I think he builds up the effect and the emotional impact extremely well. He writes this, as he does the whole letter, with a certain polite bitterness that comes through logically and also emotionally. He is able to include the perfect amounts of emotional and logical appeal throughout the letter. When he writes, "Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, 'Wait.' But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch you fathers and mothers at will...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 Funtown is closed to colored children...", the emotional effect is huge. The melancholy and raw, yet contained, emotion in his tone has, in my opinion, a colossal effect on the reader. He is able to speak of the horrors that he, and his friends and family have had to go through without directly accusing the the white community. He is able to speak with power and direct his disappointment, with some anger, at the people who he says are directly causing segregation and discrimination. This tactic and description of the horrors of the reality at the time are what make this passage as interesting and appealing as it is.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite sections of “Letter From Birmingham Jail” was when Martin Luther King Jr. was responding to people calling him an extremist and he wrote, “So the question is not weather we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for preservation of injustice or the extension of justice?” (p. 590) The language throughout the piece was truly beautiful, but this particular section caught my eye. The way that he takes criticism and flips things right back on people by showing them why they’re wrong. His arguments are respectful, but firm and absolute as well, backing up his ideas excellently. The way that he inserted questions into his argument is a strong tactic because, with the information that is given, the reader comes to the conclusions he intended, but they do it on their own. These questions allow the reader to question their beliefs and see if they’re in line. One of my favorite sentences in this section was the sentence, “Will we be extremists for preservation of injustice or the extension of injustice?” This sentence almost gives me chills because of the way the words “injustice’” and “Justice” sound close together. Justice is such a powerful word and it carries so much power with it, so when used, it must be used well, and in this writing piece, it was used excellently. The questioning of moral and ethical principals found throughout this piece is very persuasive. The language of this particular section, though fairly simple, is strung together in patterns that read in a way that is indescribably beautiful. These words inspire action in a way that is quite difficult to execute.
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ReplyDeleteOverall I found that this letter was very persuasive and had a lot of meaningful quotes and ideas. One thing in particular was a pathos argument he did. The argument was on page 585 second paragraph. I found this argument to be particular effective because he did a fantastic job of putting you in a certain scenario that is very powerful. I also liked how he made you care and feel bad about how bad the situation was. I also liked how he knew that we hadn't experienced the things he mentioned but made so like we felt like we did.
My favorite section from "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is when he says, "This 'Wait' has always meant 'Never.'" (Page 584) This is personally my favorite because it made me realize that if we want change, we need to be the ones who start a change. Like MLK said, throughout history wait has usually meant never. MLK uses various effective facts about what the word wait has meant in over the past few years. He starts the second paragraph on page 584 with "We have waited more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights." Obviously, MLK hadn't been born that long ago, but he knows that many of his ancestors suffered as much as he and his people did. He also compared the rate of political independence of the U.S.A to Africa and Asia. The emotion that MLK put into this section honestly touched me. For example, he talks about how angry mobs lynch innocent families, how little kids get called the "n" word, etc. I even put myself in the position of these families, and I realized how much it would hurt to be called all these racist and ignorant comments. I think that MLK's facts were used in a very effective and emotional way, but also in a non-violent way which made it even more effective. Personally, I think that if he wrote this letter as a threat, it would have been less effective.
ReplyDeleteThe most moving part for me was when Martin Luther King Jr. was describing the word "wait". This part was extremely powerful, well formulated and very straight forward. The part in particular that I thought was extremely well worded was the quote, "justice too long delayed is justice denied". This stood out to me because it is in fact completely true. Delaying something is just a longer process of denying, which I think MLK pointed out very thoroughly. The fact that MLK could condense such a broad point about justice into one sentence and still manage to make it perfect is amazing. The whole page on 584 was vivid and the imagery evoked a lot of emotions for me. I like how he didn't blur the truth, and was extremely direct in how he explained the difficulties that have come with waiting.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite section of the letter was when Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." He said this as part of his explanation for why he felt inclined to come to Birmingham from Atlanta in the first place. It was a powerful persuasive technique that made it obvious that racism is everyone's problem, and drove home an important part of King's point. If someone who isn't you, or even isn't of your race, is being picked on, that doesn't mean it shouldn't matter to you. It is not only a moral obligation of sorts to stand up for them, but it could easily have been you being targeted. Even though Martin Luther King Jr. lived far away from Birmingham, he still came to protest. I have heard the quote "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" being used many times, in many different contexts, and I am glad that quote has endured through the years, as it is very powerful.
ReplyDeleteThere wasn't a specific part of the letter that stuck out to me, but there was a specific element. The writing of it all, in every part, was absolutely spectacular. People in class seemed to agree that it was difficult to comprehend, but I found it to be one of the most eloquent pieces I have ever read. It is remarkable what great things can be created despite the misfortune of one's environment. But passion drives such creations, and passion is the ultimate power source. It is rather difficult to maintain tact with such a power source, but Dr. King does it beautifully. He demonstrates further his philosophy of persuasion, "peacefully" making his arguments and points. It is the things that this that enforce the greatness of this man, and it is no wonder that this letter has utmost respect from writers, activists, and civilians alike. Such a masterpiece is so great that it can truly be appreciated by all.
ReplyDeleteTo pick a favorite part of "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is like to pick a favorite out of your own children, the letter is undescribingly well written. The section I found most appealing was the 2nd paragraph on page 584. This was the most enjoyable part of the piece to me because it answered "Why should people be more urgent in the pursuit of civil rights?" .I also am fond of the fact that it included anecdotes that people that he knew and loved were involved because made the piece more personal.Though they not as prevalent , sadly I noticed parallels between the examples Dr.King used and the society we live in today. The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is very diverse in its use of logos, pathos, and ethos ,but I think the most powerful application of logos was in this paragraph when Dr.King writes "We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights." This really stressed the urgency of Black people in America gaining their rights. It made me think about the long road that Black people in the United States have traveled as a nation just to be treated as a human being worthy of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
ReplyDelete_____
Though we cannot fully answer this question I would like to know How "Letter from Birmingham Jail" might have been written differently if Dr.King was not in jail or if this beautiful piece of literature would have even been written?
That other comment from loramoore is mine aswell. Someone else was logged into a school computer ,so it posted my comment as loramoore.Sorry,looramoore.
In my opinion, the most powerful line in Dr. King's letter was his description of the police attacking the protesters: "I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes," (593). Along with providing a haunting and emotional visual description, this statement shows the brutality of the police. The peacefully-protesting African Americans were assaulted by the police like animals. It also showed the injustice of the battles. Dr. King described how the First Amendment protects the right to peacefully protest, and that the assaults violated the amendment (586). The lack of justice for the African American community was disturbing, yet the white community (including the church) offered no assistance. The African Americans were forced to fight a not-so-peaceful war alone against armed policemen, which evokes thoughts of sadness and disdain.
ReplyDeleteI think that one of the most powerful sections in "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was when Martin Luther King, Jr. is addressing the white moderate. His disappointment with the white moderate is one of his confessions, and lead me to think about this almost paradoxical concept that I had never thought of before. After reading King's essay, my interpretation of this section was that it is better to stand up for what you believe in than to agree with the majority but not have the drive to do anything about it. I'm not saying that King applauds racist white radicals, however he does respect that they are standing up for something that they have an opinion about. On page 587, King writes, "Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection". Again on page 587, King writes, "…but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace with is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice…". The white moderates that did not stand behind King and his efforts for civil rights and equality would rather have false peace without tension than true peace after resolving the tension. As one of the questions asked, King was not afraid of tension because he knew that without any, people couldn't be able to see the contrast of opinions and the rationality behind the opposing views. With the help of the whites, King feels that he could make more of a difference than him by himself.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite line in the “Letter From Birmingham Jail” is where he says "an unjust law is no law at all." One major reason I picked this line is because it stood out to me in a very different way from other lines. It is also a very logical statement. A law is something that should be the thing with the most justice. If a law is unjust there is no fairness, and fairness it what the most laws are there for. This line also emphasized his point about the protests. I agree with this statement and I think it is a very powerful and shows how cruel it was at the time. “I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice.” This quote also stood out to me as well for the similar reasons. But personally I think the entire letter by Martin Luther King was what made all of these sentence so strong and meaningful, and it is hard to pick out a favorite line.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the whole letter but my favorite part was probably when Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about how waiting is no longer an option. I liked it for many reasons, and when I looked closer into the paragraph, I found that he used appeals from ethos, pathos, and logos. He used an ethos appeal when saying that "We have waited more than 340 years for our constitutional rights." He used multiple pathos arguments when he listed terrible scenarios that had come from racism like when he said, "But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and father at will and drown your sisters and brothers and whim;...". He also uses and logos appeal when saying that "The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jet-like speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse-and0buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Also in that same section he told about how the 'waiting' was never going to get anything accomplished, when he wrote, "The 'wait' has almost always meant never." I think my favorite line from the section was when he said, "We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." This is very true. If you look back in history, all of the groups that have been oppressed over the course of time, they have all had to fight their way back or are in the process. I really liked reading MLKs "A Letter From Birmingham Jail," and believe that it is probably one of the best persuasive pieces ever written.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part from "Letter From Birmingham Jail" was on page 584 when he talks about how they can't wait any longer. I thought that this was the most powerful part of the essay because of all of the examples and experiences he talks about. For example, he says you can't wait any longer, "when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your brothers and sisters at whim." The lines like this in the paragraph just get right to your core and make you experience the horror of what was happening. This was a great way to persuade the clergymen because it appeals to their pathos. Not only is it horrible that things like this happened to people, it is also very true. Dr. King is not sugar coating anything an really making his readers realize that what was going on was not ok. I found it very hard to pick a favorite part from this essay. It was an incredible piece of literature and I am very happy that we were able to read it.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part was on page 587 when he was criticizing the white moderates. I really liked this part because the logic had a good preparation and I really liked the concepts he presented. The way he wrote about the tension "Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with allis ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light." and the line "like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?" was very provoking. My first impression was that he would criticize the extremists of the white community, but he addressed that later. I felt that he used the set up to this criticism well and didn't repeat a point by criticizing the extremists twice. I feel that it is a brilliant point because extremists are easily locatable and addressable, but there is not much you can do if your enemy is someone who chooses not to take any action at all. Because this criticism was so well set up and written, it is my favorite part.
ReplyDeleteI like the entire essay, and I like the writing style even more. It is amazing how King wrote in a negotiating tone of voice instead of blatantly attacking who it was written two. It embodies King's nonviolent approach to the civil rights movement and makes sure that he will not be seen as an attacker, but as a cooperative force that wants the best for all.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to choose a passage, it would be in the middle of page 584, when King writes "You suddenly find your tongue twisted and speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year old daughter why she can't go to the amusement park that just been advertised on television." There are a ton of persuasive techniques used in that passage. First, King gives a situation that everyone would understand the pain of; having to tell your daughter that she is treat inferior to others because of the color of her skin, which is a great demonstration of pathos. Secondly, it shows how laws at the time penalized those guilty only of being born as a person of color. There is no way that a credible person could deny the cruelty and injustice of that setting, which is why it is the most powerful for me.
My favorite part of the letter is when MLK is talking about extremists. I had always
ReplyDeletethought of the word as having a negative meaning, but he brought up an interesting
point about how people can be extremists for good things too. I thought this was both an
effective pathos and logos based argument. It was effective in terms of logos because
you can't really argue with what he says: an extremist is a person who goes to
extremes, applicable to both bad and good things. He also referenced many examples
of people who were extremists in favor of good things. He uses pathos by asking the
reader if they will be extremists for love or hate, justice or injustice, etc. It's a very
interesting argument.
I think that my favorite part about “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was, “there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth.” I liked this because for some reason it really made me think about it. When I got thinking I noticed that he was right with most changes there is a constructive tension wether it be violent or nonviolent. The other thing that he said about the tension was how he wasn't scared of it because it was always there but he was just pointing it out. This also got me to think about this with different issues. Once again I found a ton of situations where this was true. Over all the points about tension stuck out to me and made me think more in depth about this essay.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most interesting -- and my favorite -- sections of "Letter From a Birmingham Jail," is the section in which Dr. King addresses the white moderate. He, in so many words, makes the point that it is the white moderate's fault that there is still segregation because, unlike their racists extremist counterparts, they are doing nothing. I think an interesting point can be made here, and that is if every one stands up for what they believe in, the world will most likely be a better place. However, as it is now, and as it was then, only those with the most extreme of views are willing to whole heartedly stand up for what they believe in. I'm not saying that segregation in moderation is the better alternative, but those if those who think in moderation could help, any struggle would be more productive. It would also help to advocate for Dr. King's non-violent approach, because it is only those who think in extremes that are willing to be violent. I think that by calling out the "white moderates," Dr. King was exposing yet another factor in the struggle for civil rights that was crucial to the abolishment of segregation.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is a very memorable story that is packed with great language and prose. One section that was most appealing to me was on page 584. After introducing the idea of the word "wait," King says," We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights." He goes on to give many examples about the word "wait" that appeal to a reader's ethos and pathos. He describes examples of policemen violently treating people of color and having to explain racial concepts to children, which appeal to a reader's sense of pathos, or emotion. Additionally, the examples of names and respected titles not being upheld appeal to a reader's ethics, or ethos. I thought the examples he gave and overall persuasiveness of the section (and whole essay) were very effective and made the section stick out to me.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite line from Dr. King's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" is when he is talking about the notion of being an extremist, and compares what he is doing to that of merely being out of the norm; and not being someone who nurtures crime, such as what people had called him. Dr. Kind writes, "Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?" This means that to him, everyone has the choice to be an extremist in their own way, and whether or not they choose the right path is up to them. Dr. King also talked about how other people could be called extremists for the message they preached. The people he was referring, such as Paul and Amos in the Bible, Martin Luther, and Jesus were all spiritual leaders, sudgesting that Dr. King, in calling the, extremists of their time, was trying also to calm the notion of change as a bad thing, and replace it with change as a necessary medium for peace and freedom.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most inspirational and powerful parts in MLK's letter is on page 584, "We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and god given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa..." This is a powerful part in MLK's speech because it is basically saying what it sounds like. African Americans have waited 340 years to have their rights that they should have had 340 years ago. He goes on to say that Asia and Africa have even starting to gain political independence and we are moving very slowly towards it, a little too slowly. This is also what MLK wanted in the end, for African Americans to have the same rights as white people. Another quote on page 585 MLK talks about who decides if a law is just or unjust. The just law is a man-made law code that is out of harmony with the moral law. These two quotes sum up a lot of his arguments and what he was fighting for.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the most powerful part of the story is when he was writing about the meaning of the word wait. “For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ”Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that “justice to long delayed is justice denied.”” I found this part powerful because it puts pressure on the clergymen he is talking to. After this he will no longer be put off with a meaningless promise, but he demands that people give justice promptly. The line “Justice too long delayed is justice denied,” was my favorite line of the whole story. It is a line that pressures people to help the movement. It is a line that brings light upon issues of being blown off by the clergymen, and it is line, like so many others of MLK’S writings is written in a poetic fluency. Even though this was an all around significant and inspiring letter, If I had to pick my favorite part this would be it.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part from Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter: “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, was on page 584when was talking about their “wait”. My favorite lines were “Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; 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 her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness"--then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.” I felt like this explains that Blacks were waiting, they were dealing with being pushed and shoved around, non-violently, they have been asking for peace. It just hasn’t come. In my opinion, thus was an excellent way to tell the clergymen about what is happening because it appeals to their pathos. It makes them think about the fact that even though they commemorated the police for “keeping order”, they were actually being violent among the people. This was the exact opposite of what the clergymen believed to be happening among them.
ReplyDeleteThere were many brilliant lines in this persuasive essay. Part of what made it so effective and powerful was the fact that it had arguments of all types, logos, ethos, and pathos. An example of a strong appeal to pathos is on page 591, "You suddenly find your tongue twisted and speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year old daughter why she can't go to the amusement park that just been advertised on television." The reader makes the connection with the father trying to explain injustice to his child, who is so innocent and cannot comprehend why Six-Flags or any other amusement park would only be for the white children. There are also appeals to logos when King references facts, such as "We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." History has taught us this, and King references this to make an appeal to the rational reader.
ReplyDeleteIn Letter from a birmingham jail, Martin Luther King Jr. constructs a gorgeous piece of literature while confined in a jail cell. It is such a beautiful work of writing that there is no one best part but rather best literature. If I had to pick one part that was my favorite, it would be in the 3rd paragraph on page 581. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." These lines really caught my attention due to them being so powerful in their meaning. MLK uses logos to appeal to both pathos and ethos. By doing so his logic that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere gives the clergymen to think about their stance and reconsider their request. His words were so powerful I felt this urge to follow him, and he uses such persuasive logic that the ethical standards of the clergymen and their credibility is tested. This is why i found this part so fascinating.
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