What is the argument in the Letter from Birmingham Jail?

King disagreed and penned his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” arguing that black Americans had waited long enough for equal rights, and that unjust laws were invalid laws.

What statement best describes King purpose in writing the letter?

The statement that best describes King’s purpose in writing the letter is: King sought to respond to the criticism he received from people that he considered to be colleagues by methodically addressing each of their claims.

What rhetorical devices are used in Letter from Birmingham Jail?

Allusions and direct references. An allusion is an indirect reference to people, events, literature, etc.

How does Dr King use ethos in Letter from Birmingham Jail?

King does use ethos in his letter to the clergymen, and very effectively too, even though I found pathos and logos were more effective to me. One way King uses ethos is by quoting multiple historical figures in his speech in order to get to the point across that being an extremist is not necessarily evil.

What literary devices are used in Letter from Birmingham Jail?

Terms in this set (23)

• anaphora. will we be extremist for hate or will we be extremists…
• antithesis. injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
• analogy.
• metaphor.
• paradox.
• intelligent diction.
• allusion.
• ethos.

What was King’s purpose for writing the Letter?

After countering the charge that he was an “outside agitator” in the body of the letter, King sought to explain the value of a “nonviolent campaign” and its “four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action” (King, Why, 79).

Why does King write this Letter?

Why does King write this letter? King writes the letter because he says the clergymen are “men of genuine good will,” and he wants to respond to their “sincerely set forth” criticisms (par.

What rhetorical device did King seem use most in letter from Birmingham?

The rhetorical device most frequently used by Dr. King in his “I Have a Dream” speech is metaphor. A metaphor is a comparison of two unalike things in which one is said to be the other, and these metaphors help to paint pictures for his audience and dramatize the social conditions about which he speaks.