Blog #8

In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, the author uses ethos pathos and logos. He uses a great deal of ethos by preswading the reader of his own credibility.  At the beginning of the letter when he explains that he is not an outsider. He states that he is part of an organization that has rights to protest, this gives him credibility. Also, he states that he is a Christian man to support his claims. He uses his achievements, history of peace and heritage as priest, to show his cause is just. King quotes from Socrates, calling on the credibility of others to support his argument. King also uses the tool pathos to convey emotion when he writes about the oppression of the African Americans.  In the story he writes, “when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim;”  The description and imagery he paints through his powerful words creates and sets the mood for the story. Through out out the letter King uses logos, an appeal to logic. The logic he uses is the difference of a just and unjust law. Stating that it is okay to willingly break an unjust law.  “ I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.” This was one piece of logic that King lived by. He wasn't afraid to challenge the law if it was something that society would benefit from if broken.