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In April 16, 1963 Martin Luther King wrote a letter from Birmingham jail that was addressed to the eight leaders of the white Church of the South, the “white moderates”. Dr. King’s letter talks about how unfair the white Americans were towards the black community, and how true civil rights could never be achieved. Throughout his letter, King talks about how unfair the white Americans were towards the black nation, he talks about the disrespect, unfair and unjust treatment the black community had received from the white Americans.
In the letter King’s response is very moving and effective to the readers, he has achieved this by effective use of language, stylistic devices such as the use of imagery, similes and metaphors, and by using plenty of rhetorical questions. A rhetorical question is a figure of speech, used in the form of a question, although the question has no answer, rhetorical questions are used for their persuasive effects that expects no reply. All these stylistic devices help make persuasive arguments throughout the letter and also help deliver a point in a way that clearly shows how civil rights are neglected in the American society. The success of Dr.
King’s letter from Birmingham is mainly the result of effective use of imagery. By inserting imagery, this gives readers an image of the effect segregation has had on the black nation, thus giving readers the idea and sensation of how this civil disobedience effected the black people. “I guess it’s easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say “wait” “, King says that those that haven’t been affected by segregation wouldn’t feel how hurtful this civil disobedience is, and for the black people to hear the word “wait” repeatedly, and not seeing anything done to stop this civil disobedience even hurts more.
King uses this imagery in order to give readers the sensation of stinging and pain, in order to know how segregation felt to black people. “For years now I have heard the word “wait” it rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity”, the word “[R]ing” in this quote basically means a never ending echoe that keeps going on and on and on, it has no end. Dr. King explains to readers that from how much the Black community had heard the word wait over and over again, even though they had waited and waited, there wasn’t any result.
Segregation had had many effects on the black nation, to the point that it started building up ones character, “See the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness towards white people”, King shows readers that segregation is even affecting little children, that it is starting to build up a young girls character and is contributing to the child developing hatred “bitterness” towards the white Americans.
King makes readers imagine a black cloud settling in a young girls brain mentally, when instead she should have an image of a colorful blue sky with a rainbow, isn’t that suppose to be part of a 6 year-old’s imagination? King gives readers an image of destruction civil disobedience had created in the black community, especially in the young innocent little children. Martin Luther king asserts that the white Americans don’t make logical assertions, he says “In your statement you assert that our actions eventhough peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence.
But is this a logical assertion? “. Dr. King proves his point by using this rhetorical question that basically gives a sense of confrontation, he asserts that even though the black people’s actions are peaceful and harmless, that all they require is justice, the white Americans think of this as a form of violence, when its not really. Dr. King encourages readers to think about the question and what the obvious answer must be. Finally, Martin Luther King makes his letter effective by showing disappointment from the white Americans, ” I had hoped the white moderate would see this need.
Perhaps I was too optimistic; perhaps I expected too much”, Dr. King shows how disappointed he is from the white moderates, and how he had expected more to come out from them, but he has been let down. He makes them look at what they should be doing in order to stop segregation, but instead, they’re not doing anything. “As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us”, Dr.
King again shows how disappointed the black community had been ever since, and until that day, they were still disappointed, since no action was done in order to stop this civil disobedience. Dr. King gives readers an image of an explosion, where all the black people’s hopes have blasted, shattered and gone away, which resulted in disappointment. “Inspite of my shattered dreams, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause end with deep moral concern… I had hoped that each of you would understand.
But again I have been disappointed” Dr. King once again mentions the disappointment he has from the white religious groups, when they out of all people should be stopping this civil disobedience, since they are “religious” and God forbids segregation, as the Almighty created everyone equal, no matter what color, what race, and what religion, they are all the same. Dr. King shows the readers that he has strong persistence, optimism and still holds on to that hope, that there will be a change, even though he has been disappointed many times, he had still not given up on what he will fight for.
Lastly, “If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me”, even after proving his point, showing his disappointment in the white Americans, Dr. King still apologizes, when instead the white moderates should be the ones apologizing not him. King shows readers that still with immense disappointment, he still has respect to the white Americans, even though his families have been hurt, affected, and have been influenced by this civil disobedience, there still is respect.
Dr. King makes the readers think that, even though they were taught what’s wrong and what’s right, the person who’s wrong should be the one that apologizes, the one who’s right should accept the apology, however, King shows the opposite, the white Americans are wrong, and the Black community are right, however the white Americans are in denial, even though they know that they are wrong, and they should be the ones apologizing, not Martin Luther King.
In conclusion to Martin Luther King’s letter, I think that this letter was very effective, stylistic wise and emotion wise. First, he addresses his readers with honesty and respect, more than they would give back in return. He uses a lot of imagery, so that the readers can see how effective this civil disobedience had on the black community, and so that the readers can imagine the effect clearly in their minds, as imagery gives a sense of “taste” of the experience.
Dr. Kings strong use of Rhetorical questions confronted the readers, this made him prove his point clearly and prove the unfair injustice. He uses detailed stories to make readers imagine the situation, such as the story of the innocent little girl, and he also shows readers how even though he is and had been disappointed, he still carries that hope, he shows that he is not giving up of a nation that doesn’t deserve to be treated unfairly.
I think Martin Luther King’s letter from Birmingham jail was very effective, and persuasive. He proved his point of unfairness and injustice by explaining what should be “right” and what should be “wrong” and how the white American’s “right” is “wrong” and unfair. Dr. King succeeded in delivering his point, clearly without a doubt, mainly due to the effective use of these stylistic devices which turned his letter into a strong persuasive yet respectful letter.