1. Mia Orlandi
ReadingAnalysis:LetterfromBirminghamJail
Comm460
4/28/15
The title of thisarticle is‘LetterfromBirminghamJail’andthe authoris the famousMartin LutherKing,
Jr. Thiswas an openletterwrittenonApril 16th
,1963, inthe city jail inBirminghamafterprotestsof
segregation.Kingwaswritinginresponse toeightclergymen,whowerewhite,whostatedthatsocial
injusticesweretakingplace,yetbelievedthesedisagreementsshouldbe takentothe courthouse
insteadof the streets.Dr.King,inhisletter,statedthattrue civil rightscannotbe achievedwithout
directactions.
Dr. Kingstarts off by sayinghe receivesmanycritical remarks,buthe iswritingthisletter
because he believesthatthe clergymenhe iswritingtoare goodmen withsincere criticisms.Dr.King,
throughouthisletter, respondstothese criticismswithbothareligiousandAfrican-American
background.Kingalsousedpolitical groundstodefendhimself andothersininvolvedwiththe case.He
defendedeveryone whoyearnsforequal rights. He includesthe reasonshe iseveninBirmingham,
beingbothto serve asa religiousleaderandbecause of the social injusticeinthisarea. One of the
obviousmainthemesinthisarticle israce,whichDr.Kingstates are all equal. He iswritingtowhite men
to state that we are equal ashumansand that justice forall wouldmake the worlda betterplace.
Anothertheme of thisarticle isthe conceptof religion,asmentionedpreviously.Dr.Kingarguesthat
currentChristianpractice inthe Southis not whatearlyChristiansdiedfor.He believesthattrue
Christianityincludesjustice andfairnessforall.Justice isalsoanotherthemeinthisarticle,whichDr.
Kingdiscussesveryfrequentlythroughoutthe letter.He believesthatanyone whoseessomeone act

2. unjustlyanddoesnothingaboutitisactingjust as unjustlyasthe original offender.Moralityalsocomes
intoplaywithjustice,whichDr.Kingbelievesthatlawsshouldbe embeddedwith.
The author expressedandaccomplishedhisgoal, tobe heard by othersandto expresshis
concernfor resistance toracism.Thisletterwasnot onlypublishedasthe coverarticle foran issue of
The NewLeader,butwas publishedinvariousotherformsof mediaandbecame animportant
documentduringthe Civil RightsMovement of the 1960’s. Dr. Kingwasa brave man to sendsucha
lengthyand controversial lettertomenof a differentrace thanhe is,and he supportedthe validityof his
thesisinmanyways.Firstoff,Dr. King isan African-Americanmanwhounderstandsthe hardshipsand
needforcivil rightsmore thanmost people.Hisexperience withcivilrightsandhisrole asa civil rights
leaderhasgivenhimvalidityinhismainthemesof race and justice.Dr.Kingisalsoa ministerof the
Christianchurch,givinghimthe supporthe needstoproperlydiscussthe conceptsof religionandhow
thisaffectsracial segregation. Ibelievethatthe informationandhisargumentisextremelylogical.Dr.
Kingusesmanymethodsof persuasion- includingpersonal storiesabouthisdaughter,whichisagreat
formof supportingevidence.Dr.Kingalsostatesthat withoutforcefulactions,true civil rightswill never
happen.Thisstatementisverylogical,inasense thatpeople needto be forcedtofollow acertaincode,
inthiscase civil rightsandracial equality.Kingalsodiscussesthe connectionbetweenall people,
regardlessof race.Thisideaislogical because itmakessense andisa perfectwayto understandwhy
racial equalityisimportantandneedstohappen.He alsodiscussesmoral responsibilities,whichisa
logical statementbecauseeachandeverypersonhasmoralswhichcan come intoconflictwithsystems
such as the court. Dr. King’sargumentforpeople totake matters intotheirownhandsisreasonable and
supportedbyhisownexperiences.
I believethatDr.Kingwas a veryintelligentandbrave mantowrite such a letter,asI mentioned
previously.Histrue passionandwonderfulwritingskills are whatgetme withthisarticle.Iagree with
Dr. Kingand hiseffortstoresistracism.I believe thathispersuasive tacticswere the mostimportant

3. supportersinthisletter.AsaCommunicationstudent,Isee the methodsof persuasionhe usesasthe
bestwayto get a point across and to getpeople tounderstandandlistenwhere youare comingfrom.
WhenDr. KingdiscusseshishopesanddreamsforBirmingham, andhisdisappointment,he toucheson
one of the modesof proof- pathos,oremotion.The emotioninthisletterisanothercomponentthat
reallygotme thinkingandfeelingDr.Kingandhis passionforthisproblem. Afterreadingabitmore
aboutMartin Luther KingJr.,I learnedmore abouthisrolesinsocietyandhisdesire tomake things
equal foreveryone. IbelievethatDr.Kinginvestigatesall the differentsidestothistopic,andhiswriting
was veryconversational,whichgave the letterapersonal feel.Ienjoyedreadingthisandnow have
manymore reasonstobelieve whyDr.Kingwasone of the most influentialpeople toeverlive.