Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

Words: 423
Pages: 2
Open Document
1. Martin is trying to invoke a sense of guilt within the readers in order to make them reflect and try to correct their horrible actions towards black people. In the letter, Martin writes,"… when you have seen a vicious mob lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sister...". Martin uses the words such as, vicious and "at will" to describe the white people's cruel actions. Towards the end of the letter, Martin writes," I wish you had commended the negro sit inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, and their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation." This quote is a prime example of Martin's disappointment, he believed that the white people had the heart and the compassion to empathize the negroes. By using quotes like these, he is able to remind the reader who is in wrong and invoke a sense of guilt within the reader.

2. The King is also trying to open the reader's eyes to the magnitude of the mistreatment of African Americans. He shares his thoughts saying, "It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no …show more content…
Finally, the King is justifying his actions and is refuting the statements made by the clergymen. This letters original intention was to of course answer the men that have criticized his work claiming that it is "untimely" and "unwise". In the letter, Martin writes,".. I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms." The reader can obviously see that this letter is an answer to the clergymen. Martin can be seen justifying his actions when he wrote,"Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direction seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue." This quote acts a both a refutation and a justification in the way that it refutes the clergy's "untimely" comment, but yet justifies why he is doing what he
Show More

Related Documents: Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary

Summary of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” In 1963, eight Alabama clergymen that wrote a letter deeming Martin Luther King Jr.’s actions, “unwise and untimely” and the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, is Kings response to the Clergymen. King opens by explaining the intent of his letter; answering questions and concerns expressed by the clergymen. King claims that now was the time for change and it needed to be done without violence because as he states, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”…

Words 517 - Pages 3

Letters From Birmingham Jail Summary

In a listing F, I have selected an author of Martin Luther King. Jr which this author have create called, “Letters from a Birmingham Jail”. For a certain information that this great author would do to give me an advice on his background is the speech for “I have a Dream”, he has spoken to everyone where everyone doesn't have to worried about being looked by another person that would base on age, race, body, and others (“Martian Luther King Jr.”). This is a great speeches that he explains to everyone…

Words 596 - Pages 3

Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary

In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” written by Martin Luther King Jr. and published on 1963 of April 16th in response to the Alabama clergymen’s criticism towards King’s actions upon entering Birmingham. King was proclaimed as an outsider by the clergymen, stirring up trouble and causing commotion, but King counters back that anybody who lives in the United States should is in no way consider an outsider especially in the city present in the same country. King argues that he is a person of high…

Words 487 - Pages 2

Dr King Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary

Dr. King responds in his letter to the eight clergymen who criticized the actions of King and said that his demonstrations were injudicious and inconvenient. In his letter, King first provides reasons why he came to Birmingham and how he feels compelled to work for justice anywhere that injustice is being practiced. Later he explains how he organizes the non-violent protests and why direct action is a better path than negotiation. Furthermore, King points out to his critics that freedom is never…

Words 358 - Pages 2

Summary Of Colin Kaepernick's 'Letter From Birmingham Jail'

right and his duty as an American to bring these issues to light. One of the issues surrounding the outrage is whether the people who are calling him “unpatriotic” actually think that he is unpatriotic. In Martin Luther King’s words from his Letter from Birmingham Jail, “We know through painful experience that freedom…

Words 1103 - Pages 5

Summary Of Martin Luther King Letter From Birmingham Jail

judgement and ridicule is very important. About 50 years ago, one man responded to inaccurate judgement with wisdom and perception. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” reveals how he handled being judged. The clergymen who contacted Dr. King pointed out specific actions he had taken while in Birmingham, Alabama. Their letter pin-pointed the issues of boycotts, acts of violence, and the “extreme measures” King had taken. “However, we are now confronted…

Words 651 - Pages 3

Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King

Struggle isn’t always black and white In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his Letter from a Birmingham Jail explaining to his fellow clergymen the oppression and Struggle that the negro community was facing. But, because the struggles that the Negro community was facing in the sixties and the impact that the Civil Rights movement had on American history any of the smaller struggles people were facing often get completely forgotten. Although, many of these so called struggles that the white community…

Words 725 - Pages 3

Summary Of Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

Paragraph 26 of “Letter From Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. makes an argument towards the progressive use of time. Moreover, time does not magically cure all evils, there needs to be action and direction in order to solve our dilemmas. “Human progress...comes through the tireless efforts of men…” (MLK Jr. 7) not by waiting for something to happen. King then continues to reference a letter he received from a white man from Texas that essentially said, Christianity took thousands of years…

Words 154 - Pages 1

Summary Of Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

Vanessa Orantes Period 2 Ms Elam 4-20-17 King’s letter Martin Luther King Jr. an African American man, was an important and powerful leader during the Civil Rights Movement in 1950-1960’s. He led his African American people against racial prejudice and the inequalities of segregation of the South. His involvement during this movement got him arrested due to a protest for civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama. As he spent his time there he received a letter from eight Alabamian clergymen compelled to respond…

Words 832 - Pages 4

Dr King Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis

King's letter from a Birmingham a jail i do agree strongly with his stance. Dr. King's stance is standing up for himself, birmingham, and peace equality. One of the things Dr. King said in his letter was “He can not sit idly and in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. He also he also said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. What i think is Dr. King is trying to bring justice justice to the street and the city of Birmingham. Also in the letter it said…

Words 879 - Pages 4