Analysis of the Letter from Birmingham Jail

Running Head: ANALYSIS OF THE “LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL”
ANALYSIS OF THE “LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL”
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Author Note

1ANALYSIS OF THE “LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL”
Martin Luther King Jr. was popular for his active participation in the civil rights
movement from 1954. "Letter from Birmingham City Jail" was written by him when he was
inside the bars in the year 1963.This study analyses the civil disobedience that is reflected in
the tone, rhetoric style, persona of the language, of the letters written by him in response to a
letter published in the newspaper (King, Martin Luther and Vivian 254-264).
The tone of the language used revealed his understanding of the civil disobedience.
The tone in the phrase “The sacred values of Judaeo-christians” indicated his determination
for the reestablishment of democracy, moral values, social justice back in America (King,
Martin Luther and Vivian 254-264). Again, the tone in the phrase- “..the dark cloud of racial
prejudice will soon pass away” reflected his protest against the racial discrimination by the
servants of the government. Again, “I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham
police department” was also an evidence of his hatred for the civil servants (King, Martin
Luther and Vivian 254-264).
The ornamentation in his writing style reflected in the phrases-“Fear- drenched
communities” (King, Martin Luther and Vivian 254-264). Again, the phrase “alone in a
narrow jail” indicated that he was alone in his struggle to bring the democracy back in
America. The phrase-“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily
given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed ” (King, Martin Luther and
Vivian 254-264) was another evidence of the style of ornamentation. These phrases also
indicated that he wanted to evoke a fire of protest in the minds of the oppressed people (King,
Martin Luther and Vivian 254-264).
One of the examples of persona reflects in the phrase-“Its dogs sinking their teeth into
unarmed non-violent Negroes” (King, Martin Luther and Vivian 254-264). This can also be
considered as an example of the use of metaphor. Here the use of the word “dogs” signifies