Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Letter From Birmingham Jail - Coggle Diagram
Letter From Birmingham Jail
Context (Rhetorical Situation)
King has been imprisoned for leading protests against racial discrimination in Birmingham
Movements have been pushing for equal rights and the end of segregation in southern states
King's letter is in response to criticism of his presence in Birmingham
Writers' Purpose
Defend his action of leading protests
Compare unjust laws with God's Word
Call to action for White Christians to support civil rights for all people
Rhetorical Strategies
Thesis: King's presence in Birmingham is a response to injustices there
Refutation: Clergy in Birmingham called King's actions untimely, law-breaking, and extreme
Claims: King emphasized his unity with readers' beliefs in the Word of God and that the Church must participate in seeking freedom for all
Audience
White moderates
Sympathetic to King's cause
Maybe uninformed/confused
Informed about King's situation (that he has been imprisoned for leading protests)
Birmingham Clergymen
hostile to King's cause
Know God's Word (King uses this to find common ground)
Informed about King's situation
Predisposed to reject King's argument
Influencial/Powerful
Means of Persuasion
Pathos
Black citizens are experiencing terrible injustices
Ethos
King's position in Southern Christian Leadership Conference
King's knowledge of American laws and leaders
Language establishing unity ("we" and "us")
Logos
Unjust laws should be challenged
Obedience to God is the higher calling
Responding to a Question
Clergy: Why are you causing trouble by protesting racial discrimination? Why don't you stop for the sake of unity?
King explains his actions arguing that all people are interconnected and therefore affected by racism.