"Letter From A Birmingham Jail" - Passage Analysis Assignment

On Good Friday in 1963, 53 blacks, led by Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., marched into downtown Birmingham, Alabama, to protest the existing segregation laws. All were arrested. This caused the clergymen of this Southern town to compose a letter appealing to the black population to stop their demonstrations. In response to their letter, King wrote back in what would be titled "Letter From A Birmingham Jail". Especially prevalent in the letter are Aristotle's appeals, which include …

…masterful citations of famous historical figures create an outstanding appeal to ethos, and build up his authority. His emotional imagery brings out pathos and emotion. His legitimate, logical arguments buffer his argument even more. Through these appeals, and the literary devices used to demonstrate them, one cannot deny that the argument found in "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" does more than just refute what the clergymen wrote, in that it truly convinces almost every audience.