Martin F. Espinosa
Prof. Maria McKenzie
English 1302
24 September 2013
MLK
It is interesting to notice how much people can influence others with the power of literacy. The capability to express one’s own point of view and direct it others in such a profound and impacting way, that it makes them into followers of their word. These charismatic leaders represent the true nature of what it is to be someone who can use their speech and knowledge to persuade others to follow them. The perfect example of this type of person is none other than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was arguably the greatest civil rights leader ever known and his disobedience letter, “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” is one of the best arguments written by man. Here are the reasons I believe it is such an effective piece of writing. First of all, when we speak of Martin Luther King, we think of the civil rights leader we’ve all learned to love and care for. What many people may have not realized was that this man was a literary genius, and the letter from Birmingham jail honors the intellect and knowledge he had. His letter gives the main elements that compose a great argument. He gives examples of the three main pillars of public speaking and writing, which are ethos, pathos, and logos. He demonstrates his knowledge in different subjects such as history, religion, and politics. He quotes Socrates and St. Thomas Aquinas and other historic figures and is familiar with the fundamental vocabulary of other languages like when he used the example of the German word Zeitgest in reference to what had occurred to the American Negro. All this demonstrates the great capacity and knowledge of Dr. King and gives ethos to the author, thus enhancing his credibility. Pathos is given to the reader on the level of sophisticated writing provided by Dr. King. His description of events, given in the coordinate sequence on pg. 207, paints a clear picture of what it might felt like to be part of the civil rights movement. He gives so many detail that it makes the reader visualize the occurrences that have happened. At some point in the letter, there is a part that resonates with each person individually, and this makes the reader be more attentive to it. He discusses religious, political, ethnicity, and most important, civil rights, all topics of great value to most of the public. The entire letter is so dynamically written that it flows perfectly with the main ideas and points given by Dr. King. The timing of every quote and reference is well synchronized with the arguments presented. The letter elegantly illustrates Dr. King’s points and focuses attention in the quality and clarity the message portrays. For the latter part of the letter, Dr. King addresses member of the clergy and discusses the reasons for his incarceration. He talks about how there is injustice, not only in Birmingham, but everywhere, and that it won’t submit until the right actions are taken. And this takes him to the main point of his letter: that the time for action is now.