Pathos in MLK Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay -- Letter from B

Pathos in MLK, Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail In his Letter, Martin Luther King Jr.s index to effectively use pathos, or to appeal to the emotions of his audiences, is evident in a variety of places. More particularly in paragraph fourteen, King demonstrates his ability to vivify his fellow civil rights activists, invoke empathy in the hearts of white moderates, and create compassion in the minds of the eight clergyman to which the Letter is directed. In response to the clergymans song that his use of direct action was awry(p), King states, We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. As you can see, this statement is in direct relation to the clergymans untimely notion, but one would do good to realize his underlying audience. The we in this statement refers to his black brothers and sisters taking an active role in the civil rights movement. So what this statement does in terms of pathos is to light the fire of inspiration under his black brothers and sisters and have them realize that 340 yea...