Dissecting MLK’s Language
“Letter from Birmingham Jail”
What makes MLK’s letter so effective?
• He makes both his stance and his opponent’s
stance clear to his audience.
• He appeals to:
Ethos
Pathos
Logos
Take a Stand
• MLK addresses his fellow clergymen in a way
that make both sides of the argument clear
and to the point. Example:
• “I think I should indicate why I am here in
Birmingham, since you have been influenced
by the view which argues against "outsiders
coming in."
Ethos
• Definition: use of appeal to authority or
reputation. Example:
• “I have the honor of serving as president of the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an
organization operating in every southern state,
with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have
some eighty-five affiliated organizations across
the South, and one of them is the Alabama
Christian Movement for Human Rights.”
Pathos
• Definition: use of an emotional appeal.
Example:
• “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.”
Logos
• Definition: use of an appeal to logic. Example:
• “But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to
express a similar concern for the conditions
that brought about the demonstrations. I am
sure that none of you would want to rest
content with the superficial kind of social
analysis that deals merely with effects and
does not grapple with underlying causes”
Which technique applies..
• “Paul Tillich said that sin is separation.”
• “A just law is a man-made code that squares with
the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is
a code that is out of harmony with the moral
law”
• “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.”
1.
[School Uniforms] There has been a problem in local schools with discipline and violence. Your school board has
decided to institute a school uniform policy in order to cut down on these problems, based on the positive examples
that they have seen at other schools. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter to the editor of your local
newspaper stating your position on this issue and supporting it with convincing reasons.
2.
[Locker Searches/Personal Searches] The principal at your school has instituted random locker and backpack/bookbag
searches to check for guns, knives, and other weapons. Anyone caught with these weapons will be immediately
suspended. The principal argues that the random searches will not only guard against illegal weapons at school but will
also will help students feel safer. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter to the editor of your local
newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.
3.
[Too Much Homework] Some of the parents at your school have started a campaign to limit the homework that
teachers can assign to students. Teachers at your school have argued that the homework is necessary. What is your
position? Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing
reasons.
4.
[Censorship] Your local public library has come under criticism for allowing patrons under the age of 18 to check out
books that are unacceptable. The books are either explicit, describe graphic violence, or use questionable language.
Most recently, a high school senior checked out James Joyce's Ulysses. The student's parents did not approve of the
student reading the book and complained to the town council. As a result, the council is considering removing all
questionable books from the library. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter to the editor of your local
newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons.
5.
[Litter] A litter problem has developed on your school's campus. Students are throwing trash on the ground, leaving
empty soda cans and bottles outside on benches, and dropping napkins and other trash on the cafeteria floor rather
than carrying them to the trash can. Your principal has asked students to take more care, but the litter problem
persists. The principal has reacted by canceling all after-school activities until the problem is taken care of. What is your
position on this issue? Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with
convincing reasons.
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