Vocab
pathos
In what year did Martin Luther King, Jr. write "Letter from Birmingham Jail"?
1963
"Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to...air and light, injustice must be exposed."
simile
Which rhetorical appeal involves persuading by establishing the character and credibility of the author?
ethos
According to King, the main purpose of direct nonviolent action is to…
create tension so that people have to confront an issue
what is the definition of allusion?
a brief reference to a famous person, event, or idea-often from literature, history, mythology, or the Bible
What was the cause for King's arrest?
Protesting without a permit
"Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity."
metaphor
which rhetorical appeal involves persuading by logic and reasoning?
logos
DAILY DOUBLE:
When is MLK's Birthday? When was MLK assassinated?
1/15/29 to 4/4/68
what is civil disobedience?
the active refusal to obey certain laws in a non-violent way, as a form of political protest
What, specifically, prompted King to write the letter?
He was responding to a letter written by white clergymen criticizing his protests
"Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with America’s destiny. Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence across the pages of history, we were here."
list 3
anaphora, epistrophe, allusion
"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."
ethos
According to King, what are the steps of a nonviolent campaign, in order?
1) Determine whether injustices exist, 2) Negotiation, 3) Self-purification, 4) Direct action
a type of parallelism in which the beginning of the phrase is repeated several times in a series of grammatically similar phrases
What are the three reasons King gives to explain why he is in Birmingham?
1. injustice was in Birmingham
2. He was invited there
3. He had organizational ties there
“[W]hat else is there to do when you are alone for days in the dull monotony of a narrow jail cell other than write long letters, think strange thoughts, and pray long prayers?”
list 2
alliteration, parallelism
“Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First-Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.”
logos
What does King mean by "self-purification"?
Activists would participate in workshops on nonviolence, preparing themselves to be able to maintain nonviolent behavior while protesting (for example, to avoid fighting back if provoked, and to go to jail if necessary).
What is a seminal document?
a text that establishes principles that greatly influence the way people think or act
What occurred on May 10th, after the events surrounding the Children's Crusade gained national recognition?
City leaders signed the Birmingham Truce and agreed to a plan to desegregate facilities such as water fountains and lunch counters.
What is the definition of Hyperbole?
an obvious, intended exaggeration used to emphasize a point
"[W]hen you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park...; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are…living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments...—then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait."
pathos
What are King's views about laws?
People are legally and morally responsible for following just laws, but they are also morally responsible for refusing to follow unjust laws.