Have you ever had to fight for what was right?

Have you ever been shut down by the people

who promised they would change the very thing you were fighting for but left you as a victim of a
broken promise? Martin Luther King, Jr. was writing a letter while confined in jail on April 16,
1963 in Birmingham because he felt that he had a purpose for being in Birmingham. King
believed his purpose was that he belonged in Birmingham because he felt there was injustice
there. In the following paragraphs, you’ll be reading exactly how Martin Luther King built ethos
and appealed to both Pathos and Logos throughout his Letter From Birmingham Jail.

Martin Luther King builds Ethos by writing, “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.” This increases his credibility because it gives the
audience a reason as to why they should listen to him because of his background. Another way
King builds ethos by writing is when he states “we have some eighty five affiliated organizations
across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.” (Par.
2) This shows his organization has grown throughout the southern states which means his
organization has had some type of impact on society: Therefore, it gives King credibility

King appeals to Pathos by writing, “When you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers
and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim:“ King is appealing to his
audience’s sense of sympathy. This is convincing because it gives the audience the horrific
image of watching your own family die in front of your eyes, which could impact the audience
very deeply. Another way King appeals to Pathos by writing, “when your wife and mother are
never given the respected title “Mrs.” (Par. 14) King is appealing to his audience’s sense of
sympathy. This is convincing because it can make the audience want change because the
audience wouldn’t want this specific evidence to be upon them.

King appeals to Logos by writing, “It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in
Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city’s white power structure left the Negro
community with no alternative.” (Par. 5) King uses logic to prove that if you keep harassing,
pushing something, it will sooner or later try and retaliate. This appeals to an audience that
believes that enough is enough. Another way King appeals to Logos by writing, “Birmingham is
probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States.” (Par. 6) King uses logic to
prove that Birmingham truly is a place of where injustice is. This appeals to an audience that
may be interested in how bad segregation is in Cities across the United States.

In conclusion, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a letter while confined in jail on April 16, 1963 in
Birmingham because he felt that he had a purpose for being in Birmingham. While writing the
letter, King builds Ethos while appealing to Pathos and Logos. King shows he has build and
appealed to these three by stating his background, giving information on what it’s like to see
enough to want change, and by giving reasonable logic as to why there is injustice in
Birmingham. This is important because without Martin Luther King, Jr. change wouldn’t have
found its way into our society, at least not for a long time.