Martin Luther King

Martin Luther, was conceived November tenth in year 1483 in the city Eisleben (Germany), where he grew up too. He passed away on February eighteenth, 1546 in the place where he grew up. At age 5, Luther joined a typical school where he adapted every one of the nuts and bolts things he required all his life long. At the point when Luther was 13, he begun to go to a school continued running by the Brethren of the Common Life in Magdeburg. The Brethren’s exercises revolved around up close and personal commitment, and there Luther built up an enthusiasm for the cloister. His dad constantly needed him to get a legal counselor and didn’t generally understood the interests of his child and constrained him to change school to make tracks in an opposite direction from his interests in the religious life. After this his father send him to college where he contemplated an ordinary subject what was extremely run of the mill for this time. In July of the year 1505, Luther got caught in a rough tempest, in which an electrical release nearly struck him down. He considered the scene a sign from God and vowed to wrap up a priest in case he perseveres through the tempest. The tempest faded away, Luther endure and, steady with his certification, Luther didn’t go to his investigation of law any longer. Or maybe, he entered an Augustinian cloister. Subsequent to entering the cloister, he turned into a German researcher and religious reformer who was the catalyst of the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation. Through his words and exercises, Luther started an advancement that reformulated certain basic statutes of Christian conviction and realized the division of Western Christendom between Roman Catholicism and the new Protestant traditions, generally Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anglican Communion, the Anabaptists, and the Antitrinitarians. He is a champion among the most enticing figures ever of. In my following content I need to reveal to you increasingly about this vital pioneer ever.

Luther was a very important leader, especially for the Christianity religious. Before Luther became a priest, he lived through hard times in his life. During his experience with a horrible thunderstorm, the author states, that Luther promised and prayed to St. Anne, the patron saint of miners “Save me, St. Anne, and I’ll become a monk!” (“Martin Luther”, 2019). However, the most historians trust this was not an unconstrained demonstration, they think a thought effectively defined in Luther’s brain. The choice to end up as a priest was troublesome and it incredibly frustrated his dad, however he believed he should keep a guarantee. Additionally, the reason why Luther decided to join a monastery was that he was determined by fears of hellfire and God’s fierceness, and felt that life in a cloister would enable him to discover salvation.

I think barely any men have changed the course of history like Martin Luther. In under ten years, this fevered German priest dove a blade into the core of a realm that had ruled for a thousand years, and get under way a train of transformation, war and struggle that would reshape Western human advancement, and lift it out of the Dark Ages (“About Martin Luther”, n.d.). Luther biggest trait was that he always tried to help people. One author state, “Martin Luther stands as a hero, the man who built the bridge between the two halves of the last millennium, the Medieval and the Modern. His tragedy was that he would never find the courage to cross it himself. For a lot of people, Martin Luther is a real hero and a leader who nobody is going to forget. This is, because he translated the Bible, which were written in the language Latin, into the German language. In those old days, nobody could understand, read or write in Latin. The only group of people who could, were the monks, as the servants of the church. Yet, in the wake of entering the religious community, Luther turns out to be progressively suspicious that the Church can really offer him salvation by any stretch of the imagination. His perspectives solidify much further with a trek to Rome, where he found that the capital of Catholicism is overwhelmed in defilement. Destroyed by gloom, Luther at last discovers discharge in the Bible, when he found that it isn’t the Church, yet his own individual confidence that will ensure his salvation. With this disclosure, he wanted to do something against the Church, assaulting its routine with regards to moving indulgences in the well-known 95 Theses.

The second question asks, if the leader focus more on task performance or on group maintains. To answer this question, it is very important to mention, that Luther was not a leader in the typical way. He wasn’t a business or a sports manager. Furthermore, he lived not in this modern age, he lived hundreds of years ago. That means, that the modern systems of business and leadership didn’t exist. However, out of the perspective of today we can reconstruct his traits and use the modern methods to classify, what a leader he was. As a very religious man he started with his visions alone. He stood up against the old catholic church and believed, that not everything they preached were correct. Especially, he didn’t share the opinion, that it was possible to buy oneself free from transgressions. His goal was to let the church know, that he thought that selling people letters so that they could buy them free from their transgressions was wrong. Moreover, he was sure that what the church did were against the will of god. By trying to obtain his goal he made use of the task performance. He focused on the goal to make something that was in his opinion wrong, right. By doing this he focused just on the goal. He didn’t think about the consequences for himself. In his lifetime this was dangerous. His actions were against the church who were very powerful and had the control over the country.

To find support from the people, he wrote the 95 theses. Because of the new letterpresses, they spread over the hole country. He was suddenly in the middle of the attention of the people. It is possible to equate this attention with the group performance. He let people know, what his plans were. Even though this attention is not the same as being in charge of employees, he inspired the people. Luther was the first, who ever questioned the church. That made him enemies as well as friends. His supporters saved Luther’s live and ensured, that he could fulfill his goal in safety. All in all, Luther concentrated more on the task performance. He translated the bible. With this, he made it possible for everyone to read and understand the bible. Because of him, everyone is able to find one’s own truth. Because he was so focused on his task, people around the world are members of different Christian churches and not just catholic.

The path-goal theory is a combination of three factors which work together. The first factor are the considerations, which are subdivided in employee characteristics, and the task and environmental characteristics. The second factor is the style of the Leadership. There are four different styles. A leader can be directive, supportive, participative, and achievement-orientated. The third factor is defined by the focus on the motivation. This has four steps. First of all it is important to define the goals, than to clarifying the path, afterwards to removing obstacles, and the last step is to proving support. It is important to know, that leaders serve the people. The best way they can do this is by inspiring the people to develop their own initiative and good judgement, enabling them to grow, and helping them to become better. And that is, what Luther did. Luther served the people by translating the bible. He made it possible for everyone to deciding for them self what to believe. He was the reason why people became able to judge about what they read in the bible. They were finally able, to understand the word of god on their own.

Luther organized his goal by finding out what he believed for himself. To challenge the process, he wrote his thoughts down, which became known as the 95 theses. With the publishing of the theses he shared his vision to the people. He let them know what he thought. In addition, he challenged the church. Suddenly the church had to give a statement about their actions for the first time. That is why Luther enable others to act. But not just the church had to act, a lot of people started to think about Luther’s visions and thoughts. Some of them started to support him. With the translation of the bible he modeled the way for other to act. Especially after he managed to translate the bible, he became a hero for many people. He encouraged the heart of them to follow their own instinct and their own believe. It is not that easy to define his style of leadership. Because of his task performance-orientation, it is possible to classify him as a directive leader. Luther was always concentrated to achieve his goal. For him it was important, that the people got the chance to be able to decide about their own believe for themselves. Even when he became an outlaw, his only wish was to archive his goals.

He also is an achievement-oriented leader. The reason for this is, because he motivated people to support him and his visions. By helping him, his supporter made it possible that Luther was able to translate the bible. This translation could be seen as a reward. Luther was an effective leader. He managed to find supporter. Those had to stand with him against the power of the catholic church. His self-confidence made it possible, that he never doubted his goals. With his strong believe in doing the right thing for the people, he was able to focus on his goal and to follow his vision. That vision was a noble one, because he created it for the folk. He believed in the ideal, that everyone was able to making their own choices and decisions. In addition, he was the first one who ever questioned the church and that makes his vision unique. With the way he published his thought, alias his 95 theses, he showed, that he was able to communicate what he wanted. Today we all know, that his vision is not a vision anymore. Because of his doubt in the methods of the catholic church, other people started to question the methods, too. They developed a new view on Christianity. That is why Luther is today known as the father of the protestant church.

It is not possible that Luther’s leadership could have been improved. He lived in another century and did everything in his power to archive his goals. This meant for him to give up his former live as a monk. Furthermore, he was forced to hide until the end of his life, because he was declared outlawed. And despite all these facts, he managed to find support and to change the powerful structure of the church. With his actions he helped the people. He founded a new church. He as a single human accomplished something very great. And think about it, without him we wouldn’t be able to read the bible in our own language. It is amazing, that one single human is the reason why our world is, how it is. And if he hadn’t been a great leader, we wouldn’t know him today.

Barak Obama and Martin Luther King are two very important historical people that helped America return to it ideals. Obama is the first black president of the United States, elected in 2008. King was the moral leader of the civil rights movements; he was fighting for legal equality for black people. King was addressing the 1963 March on Washington to the black and white supporters in favour of civil rights. His profession as a pastor and his pacifist beliefs influenced his speech; also he was a preacher and strongly believed in non violence.

The result of his speech and the movement he led was a direct turning point and change of law, which soon lead to the end of segregation. Later on, indirectly it led to the election of the first black president. Barak Obama was addressing his supporters after the election in 2008, when he made his speech. A few things influenced Obama’s speech, including his election as the first black president and his need to unite all parties. Also, this was the time of the credit crunch and many people were losing their jobs, this was a big influence.

In Martin Luther King’s speech he uses a range of persuasive techniques to engage his audience. For example, he uses similes and metaphors to illustrate points he talks about that are more difficult to understand, so his audience always recognizes what he is trying to get across. For instance, King quotes “we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” This makes King’s point very clear about how he wants justice to flow as if it were normal and with discretion.

He also uses references to the declaration of independence and emphasises the idea of equality. King quotes “this note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This is showing that equality is not just an opinion, but a right that everyone has and it should be accepted and pursued because it is a state of law.

King has used emotive language also to capture the audience’s attention. He quotes “we are free at last”; he repeats this line many times because it really impacts on how you look at segregation, as if it’s slavery or punishment. King really absorbs his audience into what he’s saying by using emotive language because it connects with them and controls their emotions.

There is much more persuasive language and rhetoric manipulated in King’s speech but another of the main features is the sound patterns he uses, for example, onomatopoeia and alliteration. He quotes “by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.” The ‘c’s alliterate here, and ‘c’ is a percussive consonant that really impacts the message, the ‘b’s also have this affect. He uses this because it gives the speech a rhythm and makes it more interesting to listen to.

In President Barak Obama’s speech he also uses a range of persuasive techniques to engage his audience. Like King, he uses many similes and metaphors to help describe or make a point, also to encourage the audience to draw a link between two obviously unrelated things, and find similarities between them. Obama quotes ‘Every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms’ meaning, “Every so often the oath is taken amidst a political situation as brutal as a gathering storm” or “Every so often the oath is taken when the money has run out.” Obama uses a clear, powerful metaphor that allows the audience to completely realize that “gathering clouds and raging storms” refers to the current US recession.

Obama also used references to the declaration of independence like King did but in a slightly different way. He quotes ‘America has carried on… because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.’ He refers back to this to remind and mainly thank his audience for remaining loyal and essentially following the ways of the declaration of independence and Martin Luther King.

Something that both Obama and King too both used a great deal was the rule of three. This is when the speaker narrows a subject down to three major points which all link. Obama quotes ‘Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered.’ He uses these three because they are very strong and important. Using this rule makes a powerful impression to the audience on the topic, showing that it is a key issue.

Repetition and imperative commands are core techniques used in all great speeches, it really highlights what, in this case, Obama and also King are trying to convey. In Obama’s speech, he repeats the words ‘Yes We Can’ quite a few times after talking about change or progress. This shows that he trying to imply that anything is achievable if you have the determination and strength to carry on and accomplish what you set out for. He uses this as a sort of catch phrase for the speech as a whole, as the main focus.

The two speeches I have discussed are very much linked, with Martin Luther King being a direct impact on the banning of segregation and Barack Obama being the first black president they and their speeches relate. There are many similarities between the two, such as they both refer back to the declaration of independence and both use most of the same persuasive language and rhetoric in their speeches. The difference is that they aren’t exactly giving their speech on the same precise topic.

The purpose of Martin Luther King’s speech was to explain to why black people should have rights along with white people, in which he called racial equality and end to discrimination. Whereas Barack Obama’s speech’s focused on the subjects of racial tensions, white privilege, and race and inequality in the United States, discussing black “anger,” white “resentment,” and other issues, his speech closed with a request to move beyond America’s “racial stalemate” and concentrate on shared social problems.

Both these speeches are very powerful, influential and convincing, they really explain their points well and make the audience aware of the problem or situation, they have a very persuasive tone, as a speech should have.

“I Have a Dream Speech” continues to resonate with people all ever the world. These are the reasons why: 1 . We’re getting there, but the work is far from done People of all races still strive for equality. As far as we’ve come, we still have a long way to go. The speech never gets old, instilling in us the powerful idea of brotherhood and that as diverse as we are, we are one. 2. A lesson In leadership Through his words, MILK Jar. Gave voice to the voiceless. Through his deeds he gave courage to the faint of heart. Through it all, he taught us the power of love and humanity. . We yearn for unwavering examples of human integrity MILK Jar. Endured the humiliation of arrest, the loneliness of a prison cell, and constant threats to his life which was ultimately sacrificed. In an era of false heroes and the all-too-common occurrence of being let down by those we once held In high esteem, we need people to look up to, to aspire to be and who make us say, “l want to be Like them!. ” 4. Motivation to Inspire others The way King went about affecting change is a leadership and linguistic lesson in how to move mountains.

The speech is one of the greatest examples of what we can do when we act on our hearts, and it gave us a benchmark to strive for: a country that acts on its own ideals and measures itself against how it treats its least fortunate. 5. A shining example of how one person can move others to action The speech reinforces that change begins with us and that any one of us can help transform the world. Martin Luther King, Jar. , one man, did nothing less than Inspire a nation to transform itself and begin living up to the meaning of its creed. 6. Economic injustices still exist Much is said about today’s economic “winners and losers. MILK,Jar. Deplored the idea that businesses should exploit workers by failing to pay a decent wage or laying off dedicated employees to squeeze more profits. Today’s Occupy Wall Street Movement Is one example of Just how passionate people still are about these Issues. 7. We have large-scale unemployment King believed human dignity could be restored with federal works programs that trained and placed unemployed workers. This thinking still informs our current dilemma about what it will take to restore people’s livelihoods and dignity amidst the longest, deepest, global recession in a generations. . A reminder to serve others We too can strive to be better, serving our nation and our fellow brothers. It Is easy to implicated society. Martin Luther King, Jar. Inspired us to reach out to others in greater need. 9. Serves as a powerful presentation to our children about prejudice The speech is an influential classroom tool that still resonates with children today. Kids aren’t huge fans of black and white video clips, but it doesn’t take long for the magnificent words and charisma of King to transcend the limitations of any media. 0. We require reminders that make us look into our souls The United States believes it is a land in which strength is defined not simply by the capacity to wage war but by the determination to forge peace. The speech forces us to face these ideals and is still helpful today as we look in the mirror to determine if we like what we see. 11. It helps the rest of the world fight discrimination Fighting for what is right and Just are basic human impulses, yet oftentimes they are difficult to act on.

The world has a long way to go before eradicating racial hatred, discrimination, segregation and ethnic strife. Anything that inspires people to action is a plus, let alone such a shining example as the “l Have a Dream” speech. 12. Powerfully reinforces the notion that progress is possible It is so easy to become assassinated, discouraged, disengaged and even depressed with the state of affairs in our society, our government and our world. Voter apathy is rampant. We need the “l Have a Dream Speech” to remind us of our better selves and all that we still aspire to be.

Correct Scott King said “all Americans who believe in freedom, tolerance and human rights have a responsibility to oppose bigotry and prejudice,” including against sexual orientation. She institutionalized Martin Luther King’s “philosophy, his principles of nonviolence and his methodology of social change,” and helped push it forward. These worthy causes still exist today. Progress is being made, but it is up to each one of us to carry them forward, no matter how small or how large the gestures. We are busy, time is short and for most of us, the daily challenges are great.

But we all must do our part. Why does Martin Luther King Jar have a holiday? Doctor King led the civil rights movement in the US. Taking his philosophy from Gandhi, he determined that the movement would be nonviolent… At least from the point of the African American point. You see, in those times the Jim Crow laws were in effect. Schools were black and white, bus stops were segregated, even drinking fountains were labeled “white” and “colored”. While the Civil War had officially ended slavery, the black citizens were treated as second class citizens.

They had to pay to vote, get up on a bus when a white passenger wanted their seat, wait to eat if there were not enough seats labeled “colored” at a lunch counter, in essence they were still treated as slaves. In the US, the laws had changed, but the attitudes had not. There was a small minority who still thought that people of color were not equal. They had been slaves, were stupid, and did not deserve the rights that white people had. Of the other people, most Just never thought about it. They lived their lives and didn’t think about how the black person felt trying to raise his/her family in dignity. Ere public and then pointed out that these people were war heroes, entertainers, and public servants. In short, he made white people face the very real fact that they were no better or worse than the African Americans and that they needed to change the laws… And attitudes. It was a very troubling time in the US. There was news coverage from the national television services showing peaceful African Americans protesting and being attacked by the police with water cannon, dogs, and the police themselves. We saw the footage from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and were outraged. When Dry.

King was assassinated, the country was shocked and dismayed. Laws were changed in short order, and the nation became more aware how it treated it’s citizens. Some short years later, the unofficial celebration of Dry. King’s birthday became a national holiday. The reason is that his was the most influential contribution to civil rights in the US in the 20th century. We remember his contributions on that day, and celebrate the man ho had the courage to speak out against laws which made second class citizens of a large minority of US citizens. Thoughts: In this persuasive speech which may be the best speech ever given.

There are so many powerful points. The two things that stick out to me the most are the quotes “l have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be Judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. ” Also, the quote “And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able o speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to Join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Ere at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! ” (Martin Luther King Jar. ) The pure eulogy, rhetorical use, intellectuality, and genuine thoughts were conveyed in such a way throughout the speech that a person could not help, but take notice and be at the mercy of the history that was made that day. Dry. King said they were going to cash a check. This was not a check in the literal means, but the metaphorical representation of something that was promised to them, and that promise was not fulfilled.

“The Autobiography Of Martin Luther King, Jr.” is a first hand account of the life of one of America’s greatest civil rights activist. Martin Luther King Jr. , also known as Dr. King, was most known for his contribution to events such as the Selma to Montgomery March, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the march on Washington where he would deliver his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

All of these events in turn changed America’s view on racial bias, segregation, and African American rights. I chose to read on Dr.King because on every January 21 on MLK day and I was curious why he is being celebrated. I later learned how Dr.King dramatically impacted the United States of America gifting equal opportunity to everyone no matter their race or religion.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta Georgia. His mother was a teacher and his father was a Baptist minister, which got him into religion at a young age.Martin was a bright student skipping 9th and 11th grade going on to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta at age 15. He continued his religious education eventually becoming a Baptist minister at the age of 19 like his father. While Martin was pursuing his doctorate at Boston University he met his future wife Coretta Scott. They would marry in the summer of 1953 and the following year he received his first preaching job at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama.

In 1955 King received his doctorate in systematic theology from Boston University. Later that year on December 1 Rosa Parks was arrested after refusing to give her seat to a white man and sit in the back of the bus. This event caused MLK and other civil rights activist to join forces and boycott the Montgomery city buses on December 5, 1955. On January 30, 1956 MLK was speaking to a mass meeting when his home was bombed. Luckily no one was injured but people were angry at those who bombed his home.

King addressed the angry crowd and pleading nonviolence, something he learned from Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. Later that year on November 13 the U.S. Supreme Court declared the Montgomery and Alabama bus segregation laws unconstitutional. On August 28, 1963 King joined The March on Washington witch attracted more than two hundred thousand demonstrators. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. In 1964 he was named Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year” and won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Toward the end of his life King continued to be a political figure voicing his position on controversies and leading movements. Some include equal voting rights, opposing the Vietnam War, and even organising a mass civil disobedience campaign called the “Poor People’s Campaign”. On April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel by a man named James Earl Ray. Dr. King passed away at the young age of 39.

This autobiography was an insightful first hand account of the life of MLK and I would recommend it to a classmate. This book really inspired me to accomplish my goals in life much like Dr.King did. King overcame struggles such as violence, racism, and imprisonment to accomplish his goals. If I met Dr. King I would thank him for his sacrifices and strides he made for equality. He had a dream that we are all living out today, an equal opportunity to succeed.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls,” (“Goodreads”). His “I Have a Dream” speech took place in 1963 during the March on Washington. It was there that he established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history. Martin Luther King Jr. ’s American dream was that all men should have god-given rights and have equality. To achieve this American dream, Martin Luther King Jr. faced many obstacles to overcome discrimination. Before Martin Luther King Jr. achieved his American dream, there were many obstacles in the way; it was not all fun and games. The first one was the difficulty to convince African Americans because they believed that they should fight back against discrimination. The police were also another obstacle Martin had to face. During the civil rights movement, the police would use dogs and fire hoses towards the blacks to settle boycotts that were conducted. However, Martin would never use violence back. Another problem that he faced was prejudiced ideas. Many whites had opinions about African Americans that kept opportunities for them very limited.

Martin never let any of these obstacles stop him from achieving his dreams of equality. Through all the difficulties Martin Luther King Jr. had to face, his American dream never changed. Martin wanted all men to have god-given rights and equality. He had to prove to his own people, the police, and the rest of America that it was possible to stand up for themselves without being violent. With this belief, Americans realized that the white society was in the wrong when it came to discrimination and violence because African Americans were not harming anybody. This helped Martin’s dream become a reality.

Reference

1. Quote by Martin Luther King Jr. ” Goodreads. Otis Chandler. 28 Aug. 1963. Thur. 8 Nov. 2012.
2. Haberman, Frederick. “Martin Luther King-Biography. ” Noble prize. org. Les Prix Nobel.N.d.Web.6 Nov. 2012.
3. Roland, Allen. “Martin Luther King/ The Voice That Can’t Be Silenced. ” Thepeoplesvoice.ord.n.d. 17 Jan. 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2012.
4. “Quote by Martin Luther King Jr. ”Goodreads. Otis Chandler. 28 Aug. 1963. Thur. 8 Nov. 2012.
5. Carson, Clayborne.“Life.” Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History.Ed.Colin A.Palmer. 2nd. Ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2006. 1239-1243. Gale U. S. History In Context. Web. 7 Nov. 2012.

Savannah Major February 23, 2013 Hon. English/ H. 3 Philosophies of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X The late 1950s to mid-1960s was a time when violence and injustice had reached its peak. Many people were treated unfairly and the mood of the country overall was very gloomy and unhappy. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were both very well-known activists who fought to make things equal and right. 80th activists shared similar beliefs against the racial Injustice brought against African Americans by whites although their methods of achieving that equality were completely different.

MLK, for Instance, believed In approaching things in a peaceful, nonviolent fashion. However, most African Americans felt that his “peaceful approach” wasn’t enough to reach his. as well as their, goals and turned to Malcolm X, who believed that arming up against whites was a necessity in order to protect yourself. In other words, fight violence with violence. In the speech, “Stride Toward Freedom,” MLK discusses the three different ways of dealing with oppression; acquiescence, resorting to violence, and the use of nonviolent resistance.

Only supporting one of the three, nonviolence, King strongly isagrees with both acquiescence and using violence as a way of making peace. Acquiescence, when the oppressed resign to their oppression and just deal with it. giving up on it all together. MLK believes that is not the way out, claiming that by resigning “the oppressed become as evil as the oppressor. ” (King 301) The second form of oppression, resorting to physical violence, completely goes against his views.

The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by the late Martin Luther King, Jr. is a very inspiring work about injustice, oppression, and fighting for everyone’s rights. He was able to respond to his critics in a manner where he appeared calm and responsible. He laid out all his reasons for his actions and why he was in such a place without becoming angry and bitter at the situation.

One example of enthymeme found in his letter is the statement “I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong. ” This statement is considered as an enthymeme because it has a part of the argument that is missing since this is already assumed. It can be broken down in three parts: laws that are considered morally wrong should not be obeyed by the public; segregation ordinances are morally wrong; thus, segregation ordinances should be disobeyed.

He states that segregation allows other people to think that they are superior from others, while some may feel that they are much lower than the rest. Another enthymeme is seen on Marin Luther King, Jr. ’s letter, specifically in the 10th paragraph where he talks about opposing to violent tension and “the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society…” The assumed premise here is that gadflies have the ability to improve people’s lives.

The minor premise is that the author, Martin Luther King, is a gadfly. As such, it is concluded that the author’s efforts will greatly improve the lives of the people. Martin Luther King was able to express his intentions by using logical arguments to persuade his audience. He was effective in his purpose by having clear examples and arguments that answered the questions and concerns of the clergymen who wrote to him.

Reflection Essay on Letter from Birmingham Jail

Increasing Importance From Birmingham “A Letter From A Birmingham Jail” written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is an amazing piece of writing that Dr. King wrote in response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen. The letter conceded that social injustices were taking place but expressed the belief that the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts and not taken onto the streets. Dr. King was writing the letter to explain his reasoning on being in Birmingham and why it was not against the law that him and his people were protesting. Dr. King uses vivid imagery, aggressive diction, and repetition throughout his letter to powerfully build to the climax. Climax is a scheme that aids Kings argument in the letter by painting a picture for the reader, allowing the reader to feel the emotions of Dr. King though language, and also allowing the reader to pick up on the important issues throughout the entirety of the letter. Throughout the whole body of the letter lots of vivid imagery is used by King to build climax. This whole letter is an escalation until the final paragraphs when it is summed up and beings to take a calmer tone.

The reason being for the use of imagery is to paint a picture for the reader. An example of imagery in the letter would be when King says, “They have carved a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment”. In this statement, they, is referring to the people who are standing up to the whites and fighting for the equal rights for blacks. These people continue to find hope where it seems impossible to find. They keep trying to obtain equal rights even with constant oppression and criticism from the mountain of disappointment.

Again, this draws attention to this sentence by using strong imagery of two unalike things. By King painting a vivid picture for the reader and allowing them to see through his eyes and from his point of view, it makes his argument that much strong. King picks and chooses what to vividly describe in his letter and by only painting out what he wants you to see makes his argument that much stronger. By painting a picture, King can continue to build it into a climax point where the readers of this letter are seeing and feeling what King is trying to express.

Aggressive diction is used flawlessly in the entirety of this paper to aid King in his argument. The diction that is carefully chosen is used to progress sentences. We can see that at the beginning of the letter, sentences are short and not as wordy. But, as King starts to become heated, we see sentences prolonged, starting to accelerate a strong rhythm, and become longer in key emotional passages. An example is “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was “well timed” in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. ” We see more aggressive diction is used in these emotional passages because the use of the aggressive diction not only lets us know how King is feeling, but when the diction becomes stronger it aids the development towards the climax King is trying to reach. All of this emotional, aggressive language King uses to express his feelings to the clergymen leads to a climax.

In each heated point, in the letter, King becomes more emotional with his language to try explain his point of view. In the example above, King is referring to how nothing King and his fellow believers do is okay in the eyes of the clergymen. Everything King does simply cannot be justified unless it is justified as illegal and violent. However, King and his people still have hope. They create whatever hope they can out of the “mountain of disappointment” of constantly being shot down. His sentences become longer and more aggressive as he builds the climax to get his point across to the clergymen.

Repetition is another writing element used by Dr. King in his letter to further progress his argument. Repetition is used to enhance the climax of the paper because as certain points become more important you start to see the idea repeated again and again. Eventually as the climax of the issue is reached, we see the idea that was being repeated start to subside. The repetition becomes almost like a foreshadowing method of the main point Dr. King wants you to realize. He is repeating certain ideas to make sure you retain them and become very familiar with them.

For example, “…ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. ” In this quote we see the word “Negro” repeated even where it may not be needed. This is to emphasize the point Dr. King is trying to make in his statement. Each time the word is placed into the sentences, describing the noun, it puts that much more emphasis on the word.

It allows the word to stand out from the rest. It also gives the language a sense of tension and emotion. It lends a hand in creating a climatic point each time the word is repeated again and again. The whole reason Dr. King is writing this letter is to convince the clergymen to hear his plead for equality and justice for all people alike. He is unjustly sitting in a jail because he was participating in nonviolent protesting. The reason he even has to be protesting at all is because no one will hear to cries of Dr. King and his fellow believers.

They just want equality but no one would give them the time of day to explain themselves as equals. So instead, Dr. King and others were arrested and forced to try and make their cries heard once more, this time from a jail cell. This letter appeals to many things that the clergymen can relate to and also displays King as an educated individual. The clergymen have no other choice other than to address the letter. Dr. King is very sophisocated in the way he designs this letter. Each part of this letter is chosen carefully to aid Dr. King in his plea to the clergymen that they will recognize blacks as equals.

Many different elements of writing are expressed throughout the letter to aid Dr. King in his argument. But among the many elements, vivid imagery, aggressive diction, and repetition helped him build up the climax of certain points in the letter. The climax helped him in his argument by creating emotion in the paper that not only the clergymen could relate to, but others who read the letter as well. The climax paint pictures for the reader, allows the reader to feel the emotions of Dr. King though language, and also allows the reader to pick up on the important issues throughout the entirety of the letter.

Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

The pressure of racial segregation was reaching a boiling point in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. After being arrested for his part in the Birmingham Campaign, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote an open letter in response to “A Call for Unity”, written by eight white clergymen from Birmingham. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a true call for unity, as he clearly states and points out facts that the clergymen have omitted from their letter. King is clearly not looking to stoke the fire of segregation; he was merely looking to solve the situation at hand and trying to peacefully end racial segregation in the United States. A Call for Unity”, written in early April 1963 (Jonathan, 12-18). Discussion After years of segregation and inequality, one man stood up and fought for what was right. This man spoke of dreams and for what he felt as morally right, ethically right, lawfully right and emotionally right.

This man spoke of freedom, brotherhood and equality among all people, no matter what race they were. He brought forth facts and emotions to America that was being felt by the black community, which was being treated so badly. This man was Martin Luther King Jr. a clergyman and civil rights leader, who later was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. King opened the eyes of America to a broader sense of understanding, to a wider view of the inequality and hate that almost every black person had to live through at that time. After several peaceful protests King was arrested for demonstrating in defiance of a court order, by participating in a parade, he was then taken to Birmingham jail (Leff ; Utley, 8-9). There in the jail, King wrote a letter to 8 fellow clergymen in response to a letter they published in a newspaper.

King explained in the letter why he did the things he did, and why that had to be done the way that they were. King’s “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” was written on April 16, 1963. Eight Alabama clergyman wrote an open letter that questioned King’s methods and suggested that he use the court system as a means for change. King’s letter was a reply that was meant to respond to the clergymen and spread his beliefs (KaaVonia, 10-15). In his letter, he responds to some of his criticisms, such as his demonstrations, direct action, and his timing.

He, then, explains his motives for acting, and why they were justified. Argument about “Justice and injustice” His attitude in the letter changes, at the beginning he is submissive to the clergy’s criticism; at the end he begins to criticize the clergy. This letter was symbolic of a movement, and all the injustices it faced. King uses rhetoric by manipulating language and appealing to the emotions of the reader. In Martin Luther King Jr’s “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” addresses eight white clergymen from Birmingham, Alabama, clearly states eight arguments.

King uses epigrams as a device to make sure the reader still comprehends his message. In the beginning paragraphs, King states what brought him to Birmingham and why he is justified in being there. In his argument he alludes to Apostle Paul, and provides dull factual operational information about the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Even if the reader does not know who Paul is or care about the SCLC, he can still understand King’s message because of the epigrams he uses (Baldwin ; Burrow, 111-118). In summing up what brought him here King says, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.

In answering why he is justified in being in Birmingham, King says, “Anyone who lives in the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in the country” (King, 122-128). Now the reader knows through the use of epigrams that King was brought there because there is injustice in Birmingham and that he has a right to be in Birmingham because he is an American and Birmingham is an American City. Blacks are going through a really tough time during this Negro revolution in 1963 and Dr. King accentuates the point by the use of strong diction, which set the tone of the letter.

For example, Dr. King elucidates the reason his people can’t wait for their rights and that’s because “hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill” his “black brothers and sisters” and that basically most white people torment them any chance they get. In the letter written by the clergyman they say (like it was something new), that they were now facing demonstrations led by outsiders (King). Religious appeals in King’s latter King wants them to know that he is not really an outsider but the president of The Southern Christian Leadership Conference with an affiliation in Birmingham.

He wants to point out that he not only has organizational ties but also was invited to participate in the direct action program in Birmingham in support of desegregation. In the course of the letter, King uses philosophical, religious and historical examples to get his points across. In order to gain control of the reader Martin Luther King Jr. includes vivid images of cruel acts that African Americans in Birmingham endured. Concerning this unsettling time in society King could have described many of the immoral and unjust acts that he encountered on a daily basis.

Instead he portrayed these situations by asking rhetorical questions about women, children and loved ones bringing the hardships Negroes faced into the lives of men of all cultures. It does not matter if you are black, if you are white, if you are Asian, if you are Hipic, or if you are a mixture of any race, through King’s words you could imagine yourself in any of the situations he describes. With the ability to touch the reader on not only a personal level, but also an intimate one Martin Luther King Jr. began to bridge the gap between the races (Jessica, 222-225). King consistently brought up the point of morality.

Pointing out that certain things are moral and other things aren’t. For example King talked about having two different drinking fountains or having blacks sit at the back of the bus, saying that it just wasn’t morally right. And that morally right would be to have unity and brotherhood among all people. King tries to show the difference between just and unjust laws, it is because of these two terms that we can “advocate breaking some laws, and obeying others” (King, 122-128). Segregation in his eyes is and unjust law because it “disturbs the soul and damages the personality” (King, 122-128).

These are both qualifications of an unjust law. Society today is filled with unjust laws. In many schools females are still prohibited from joining a football team, because the school believes they do not have what it takes. By not allowing this person to join the team they are taking away a part of her personality, a piece of who she is and denying her to express it. King also discusses another perspective of just and unjust laws. He explains that an unjust law is made up by a majority of people whom force a minority to follow this law; however the law is not “binding” on themselves.

A just law is one that a majority makes and is also willing to follow themselves. Thus showing that is the only fair law is one that affects all citizens in an equally just way. King states how the Apostle Paul carried the gospel of Jesus Christ over the land, and thus compares himself to him. One way King addresses the eight clergymen and justifies his presence in Birmingham is by comparing himself to the Apostle Paul. He is trying to take the gospel of freedom over the land of America. This idea relates to peoples emotion because most people are religious and believe in God and Jesus Christ.

By Comparing himself to the Apostle Paul strikes deep emotion in most people, and almost saying that he is trying to do the work of God by trying to achieve true freedom, this analogy is a great example of pathos and King’s use of these appeals to the emotion through examples and figurative language (Carson, Holloran, Luker, Russell ; King, 10-15). King uses pathos not just from the Bible but also by evolving ideas from World War II: “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was “legal” and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal”.

It was “illegal” to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country’s antireligious laws” (King, 122-128). Here King refers to all the horrible laws that Hitler created in Germany before World War II. He cites how, “It was illegal” to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany.

He is using this example to compare Germany’s laws against Jews to “separate but equal” law of the time against black people (Jessica, 222-225). Creating ethos is a way for a writer to gain the trust of the reader. It can be used to show the effectiveness of one’s writing the writer’s credibility. King illustrates this quality of ethos when he explains his professional titles: “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. Frequently we share staff, educational, and financial resources with our affiliates” (King, 122-128). Here King shows his credibility by citing what his organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which is in every southern state, does (Baldwin ; Burrow, 111-118). Furthermore, Martin Luther King explains to the clergymen in the letter that they have been misinformed on the situation and that not all is alright.

King quotes the clergymen’s original letter which commended the Birmingham police for their great efforts in keeping order and preventing violence, King is quick to correct them that they would have not commended the police force if they viewed the gruesome violence which occurred that day firsthand. King concludes the paragraph with. “I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department” (King, 122-128). This statement comes off as a very bold statement to the clergymen after reading the details of the violence previously.

Paragraph fourteen of King’s latter In paragraph fourteen he uses emotional reference when he says “when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim” (King, 122-128), he doesn’t call them Negro, so that the audience could relate to them. He wants them to know how a black man feels always feeling like nobody and being afraid. In the next nine paragraphs he describes in detail the difference between a just law and an unjust law.

This time he uses religious leaders such as St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, Martin Buber and Paul Tillich as examples to get his idea across. He says that “a just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God” (King, 122-128). In paragraph 23, he begins to criticize the white moderates “People who say they agree with segregation but do not want the Negro people to demonstrate because they don t want their lives disrupted” (King, 122-128).

King says that these people are worst than the Ku Klux Klan and other people of ill will, because of their shallow understanding (King & King, 45-48). Lastly, King provides a very good insight for the uninformed in his letter from jail. King states that he wished that the clergymen had actually realized who the real heroes were that day. King had received a letter from a white man from Texas saying that he will reach his equal rights eventually but that maybe he is in too much of a religious hurry.

King states that time are not the cure to all maladies, and that his people must use their time more effectively than the people of ill will. King seems to have a perfect response to all arguments thrown at him, but none appear to be flawed of course. There was no other way for the black community to get their point across because they were not being listened. There is no point in this letter where King incites violence, if anything he completely against it and will stop at nothing to ensure that there is no more violence (Leff & Utley, 8-9). Letter from Birmingham Jail” is one of the most touching pieces of writing. All of Kings Arguments are effective, particularly in paragraph fourteen. This letter at times can be hard to read because King gives real life examples of what it is actually like to be black and living in the 60s south.

This letter sparks a realization, which people have never recognized before reading this, this latter showing the terrible and disgraceful treatment of the black community. Conclusion “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” was an opportunity for Martin Luther King Jr. o express to the public his views and the views of other African Americans throughout the South. The effects of King’s experiences depicted by his use of language resulted in radical changes for African Americans throughout the nation. It was a bigger victory to sway the Alabama clergymen than to change the mind of a stubborn group of white males, because it proved that the typical southern white male is equal in every way shape and form to that of an African American. Martin Luther King Jr. Once said, “I have a dream” and dream he did.