Work independently and quietly today; for a variety of reasons, I will not provide individual feedback on your synthesis paper ideas.  I want this to be all you, in terms of insights and even choices on how to structure your thesis and essay.

Prepare and good luck.

Good Opening and Thesis:

English III-AP

Wesley 5

5 December 2016

Letter from Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis

            In Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. uses rhetorical devices to support his stance on the protests in Birmingham that landed him in jail and give himself an air of authority and credibility in the eyes of the reader. King’s language perfectly displays his intense devotion to the Civil Rights Movement and the emotional turmoil he has endured as a prominent black man in America. The impact of this letter is due to King’s rhetoric, which forces the perspective of a black American during the segregation era onto the reader and illustrates the urgency and necessity of the protests. Most notably, King uses allusion to showcase his credibility as an intellectual, metaphors to evoke an emotional response from the reader, and repetition to create a sense of urgency.

One more

In America, throughout the 1950s and 60s, many protest were taking place in the south to promote freedom and desegregation of people of all races and skin color. Primarily, the Africans Americans were fighting to see segregation come to an end in a country that supposedly supported freedom and equal rights to all. However, the seemingly peaceful demonstrations became criticized by clergymen of Alabama, prompting the Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen, which disapproved the protest’s untimeliness. In response to the clergymen’s acquisitions that the protest in Birmingham were untimely, in Letters from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. uses repetition through an anaphora, an appeal to emotions through details, and historical allusions to prove to his audience the legitimacy of this movement.

Good Allusions Paragraph

On the surface, the Letter from Birmingham Jail was a response to an open letter from eight Alabama clergymen. King had a PhD and was a reverend himself, but as a black man he was drastically underestimated by the general population. In the passage, King makes an allusion to several philosophers and religious figures. King credits Saint Thomas Aquinas for saying, “an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law” (52-53). Following this, King references Martin Buber, a Jewish philosopher, and later refers to the clergymen as his “Christian and Jewish brothers” (75). These allusions show King’s meticulous preparation of every sentence in this letter. He makes constant religious allusions in the letter, carefully and thoroughly dismantling the clergymen’s credibility as they contradict their faith, and building his own credibility as an intellectual. The inclusion of the Jewish philosopher was an appeal to the rabbi’s intellect, but King goes on to appeal to the rabbi’s emotions as well. Later, King makes a historical allusion to the holocaust, which was a relatively fresh wound at the time. King states that “if [he] had lived in Germany during that time” (72) he would have aided the persecuted Jews. The allusions to real life people and events strengthen King’s credibility by bringing historical perspective into the argument.

Portion of another good allusions paragraph

. Later in the text King alludes to Jesus to illustrate why the clergymen want to end the illegal acts of defiance. The clergymen believe that even though the protests are peaceful, they must end because they promote violence. King states “Isn’t this like condemming Jesus because His unique God-Consciousness and never ceasing devotion to His will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion” (91-92). Kings allusion is effective because he is writing to clergymen, who have a substancial knowledge of Christianity, so this allusion gives them something to understand. It also creates a parallel between the Civil Rights Movement and the religious movements of Jesus Christ, all King and his supporters wish is for equality between all men and to do this they must spread the word and teach others like Jesus did. King wants the clergymen to understand the devotion those who take part in the movement have to the civil rights cause, even though much of their protests violate city laws, he stresses the connection between the civil rights protester’s devotion, and the devotion Jesus had to God. 

Good Appeals Paragraph

        One of Martin Luther King’s strongest assets when writing Letter from Birmingham Jail was his genius use of the persuasive appeal (ethos, pathos and logos) to get across his point.  In order to emotionally appeal to his audience, King depicts horrific imagery that blacks in the U.S. had experienced, and in doing so, helped whites to understand the pain and suffering that had been endured for hundreds of years.  He mentions that it is only natural to grow unhappy with the current social structure “when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters…” (22-24).  Additionally, King uses the image of children suffering to bolster the pathos, and thus enhance his persuasive efforts.  King explains how it is heart breaking to have “to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling in her eyes” (26-27).  This picture of King having this conversation with his own daughter invokes lots of emotion and is truly saddening, making it an extremely effective tool for persuasion.   For people to believe what King wrote, it was imperative that he established a certain level of credibility, in order to ensure people that the things he was saying were completely valid.  Early on in his letter, King addresses the notion that the actions taken by the civil rights activists were inappropriate and unnecessary.  In a response to this, King explains how he and his black brother “know through painful experience that freedom is voluntarily given by the oppressor” and in saying this, he demonstrates that he has been through these issues before, and is therefore well versed, experienced and a credible/trustworthy source (13).

Good Anaphora Paragraph

Through anaphora King refutes arguments made by the eight clergymen. King repeats the words “when you” many times in lines 22-35. King states “when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will… when you have seen hateful policemen curse, kick and even kill your brothers and sisters… when you have seen…” (22-24). King uses anaphora to build tension in his writing, the repetition of this phrase allows the reader to personalize with his experiences. But most importantly it builds tension to reveal his main idea at the end of the paragraph. King addresses timeliness in this paragraph through personal experience, so after the repetition of “when you” followed by personal and societal experiences he places “then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait” (37-38). King builds a counterargument against the clergymens idea that desegregation will come naturally by repeating a phrase ad placing his main point at the end of the paragraph for emphasis. Kings use of anaphora depicts his effective persuasive techniques and personal points to convey his message that the time is now for segregation to end.

Appeal To Logos (and a good conclusion)

For those not so effected by emotions and feeling, King was able to take an additional persuasive approach with the use of logos in his letter.  The clergymen blamed King and his followers for “precipitating violence” in their movement (line 86).  King effectively counter argues this by making the clergymen question the logic of this claim against King.  King says that blaming him and his followers for the violence erupting in the country was like blaming a robbed man because his possession of money led to the violent and evil act of robbery.  He said it was like blaming Jesus because his faith led him to be crucified.  By making the clergymen think, King was able to show that the actions of his movement were peaceful but it and that it was illogical to try and punish the blacks’ efforts for constitution rights by saying that the movement created violence. 

King’s use of ethos, pathos and logos effectively countered the arguments of the clergymen against the civil rights movement.  King’s language and technique captured the degrading treatment of blacks during this time, caught the attention of the clergymen, and helped spread the ideas of the movement to a larger audience.   This document is rightfully praised for the compelling persuasiveness established by King.   

Use of Rhetorical Questions

Rhetorical questions are also used by King to get the reader thinking about the current situation, and why it is so crucial that segregation ends as soon as possible. King not only asks these questions, but also manages to pull religious figures into the questioning, to appeal to his audience. King alludes to Jesus by asking “ Isn’t this like condemning Jesus because his unique god-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to his will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? (91-92). The allusion to Jesus not only depicts Kings religious purpose, but also helps highlight King’s paternalistic tone. He is almost trying to preach that religious men such as the Clergymen should not segregate themselves. In relation to his question, he is almost saying that any religious Clergyman could not actually inflict such harm on another being. This would hit the Clergymen hard and make them open their eyes because they might then begin to question themselves, and what there purpose preaching the word of god truly is. This is exactly what a rhetorical question is intended to do. 

Addressing Parallel Historical Situations

King opens up his response by providing motivation for theses peaceful protests; the clergymen do not see merit for his actions so he sets himself up to show why he has no better options than the path that he already took. The clergymen question the timing of his protest and urge him to try negotiating and letting the legal system take care of the situation. King raises the point that “it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals” (9). King uses a general historical pattern to synthesize the events of his time to any given time the reader can think of where an oppressor refuses rights to an oppresses, while alluding to a significant philosopher that most people, but especially the clergymen would understand. By grouping himself and these protests to an event that the reader can better understand he establishes credibility and aides his argument in the process. 

Thematic Synthesis Essay

This semester we have studied a variety of texts that have explored the costs and benefits of being an individual and the wide array of approaches people can take to maintain their values and integrity, their freedom and identity. "Self-Reliance" by the great Transcendentalist thinker and writer Ralph Waldo Emerson continues that trend.  

Emerson's thoughts have had a profound influence on everyone from Chris McCandless to countless other seekers, theologians, and leaders in the past two centuries. He is one of America's great treasures.And in a world where conformity and social media pressures increasingly encroach on our ability to think for ourselves and truth is treated with little respect, his messages may be especially timely.  

As you read "Self-Reliance" think about the various works we have read this semester and what they say about a ‘self-reliant’ lifestyle, What do they say about living with integrity and, in some cases, confronting some oppressive power —whether it be pressure to conform to political or religious orthodoxy, or to economic, intellectual, and family norms.

By the way, on the final you will craft an essay in which you analyze the ways different works that we’ve studied can teach precise lessons about the broad theme of ‘the individual and authority.’  

As you read tonight, find two passages that you can connect to one or more other readings we have done this year.  Write a paragraph about one of them, and submit it to turnitin.com "Emerson Connections".

Civil Disobedience pp 9-18

Evaluative question: 


Thoreau makes it clear that "those who call themselves abolitionists should at once effectually withdraw their support" unless they take action, even if the public does not "constitute a majority" (8). He communicates that you should not vocalize your support regarding an issue unless you are prepared to do something about it. What examples are there today of people supporting a cause yet not taking any action? Are there any people today like Thoreau that stick up for an issue and are also willing to take action to create change? Who?

Small group pp 9-18 inferential/evaluative question check...

Annotation and question check...

Write your names on a sheet of paper....

Find four passages that parallel ideas in Letter From Birmingham Jail....

Four entries...Quote the passage and explain why/how this passage relates to Letter From Birmingham Jail

Fifth entry...
Why did he object to the Mexican American War?

Bonus: How did the Iraq war parallel the Mexican American War?

Hand in the paper toward end of class...

Please submit one textually-based inferential or evaluative/applied question inspired, at least in part, by a passage in  pp 9-18.

Learning Targets: I can use literature as a means to explore my beliefs and values.

We will have Socratic Discussion tomorrow.

Homework: 

• Read and annotate pp 1-9, through the end of the paragraph ending with “not wholly waive the following winter”. Annotate for his ideas, questions, and the rhetorical characteristics/elements of the piece.

• Also, post one inferential discussion question on the turnitin.com discussion board and respond to another question. (10 points)

December 7: Today’s Discussion Starter Journal…The Machine of Government  (10 minutes)

Why do you think groups of people typically form some type of government? What do you think people generally intend their governments to do?

“If the machine of government is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.” 

·       What some historic examples people breaking the law to combat injustice?

    Are there any current injustices which you feel strongly about? What are they? What do you  think you would be willing to do to change them? What actions do you think would be most effective and moral? Would you be willing to break a law to fight this injustice?

Pair and Share

Whole Group Discussion

 Inferential Question Examples:

Tayo used to carry around a tin frame of his mother when he was a child: "But one evening, when he carried it with him, there were visitors in the kitchen, she grabbed it away with him. He cried for it and Josiah came to comfort him; he asked Tayo why he was crying, but just as he was ashamed to tell Josiah about the understanding between him an Auntie, he also could not tell him about the picture..." (71) Why does Tayo feel the relationaship between himself and his aunt is private?  How might his  relationship with his Aunt  affect Tayo's view of his own mother.

On page 74, Josiah described the cattle saying that "if you separate them from the land for too long, keep them in barns and corrals, they lose something. Their stomachs get to where they can only eat rolled oats and dry alfalfa." Does Josiah's description of the cattle parallel Tayo's PTSD and how he copes with being away from the land for so long?

Evaluative questions ask us to judge whether what an author has written is true in light of our own experience, including other works we may have read. For example, Is the Declaration of Independence still relevant today, or is its interest mainly historical? Evaluative questions are typically broad and often range beyond the selection being considered. Evaluative questions help us make connections between the insights gained through discussing great writings and how we live our lives. They tend to be more rewarding if they are grounded in the work being considered and based on sound interpretations developed by participants in the course of discussion.

Example Evaluative Question: 

Into The Wild evaluative question example

Is it better to live life completely according to your own truth, or should you be willing to compromise your values for the sake of family who might be hurt if something bad happened as a result of your choice to live in full accord with your moral principles?

Great Expectations evaluative question…

In Great Expectations Charles Dickens makes it clear that social class was extremely important in 19^th Century England.  How important is social class in 21^st century America? What are some specific ways in which it affect our lives?

“Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to be on the alert to point out its faults, and do better than it would have them?” 
― Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience and Other Essays

Bring Thoreau's Civil Disobedience tomorrow

18 December 2015

Martin Luther King Jr. Rhetorical Analysis

            “Letter From Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr is a powerful expression of the pain of racism and the necessity of direct action against its evils.  Written in response to eight Alabama clergymen, who wrote a criticism of King and his nonviolent protests, the letter is an expression of King’s personal convictions as well as a tool of persuasion that he utilizes to prove the righteousness of his methods.  As a result, King utilizes specific language and rhetorical devices to convey his ideas as well as convince his audience of the virtue of his methods.  The most prominently and effectively used of these devices are allusion, anaphora, and the rhetorical question.

            Allusion is employed very effectively by King to both establish credibility and defend his actions and cause.  In in defense of his actions, King argues that “Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us [that] groups tend to be more immoral than individuals” (11).  In referencing Niebuhr, a prominent Christian theologian of the day, King establishes credibility by synthesizing his beliefs with those of a highly respected person.  King also refers to Niebuhr knowing that he is someone who the clergymen to whom he is responding will respect, further establishing the veracity and credibility of his ideas.  King also makes use of allusion to generate understanding of his cause by using historical parallels.  He supports the protesters breaking of laws by arguing that “everything Hitler did in Germany was ‘legal’”(70), and that the obligation to follow laws depends on whether they are morally sound.  This comparison to Hitler is intended to make people reconsider their indifference to the civil rights movement by explaining the true horror of racism.  Overall, King’s use of allusions serves to persuade his audience by generating credibility for his beliefs and convincing them of the immorality of not pursuing direct action against racism and hatred.

            King also makes use of powerful anaphora to persuade his audience of the necessity if direct action against racism and segregation.  He explains the heartbreak of “when [people] have seen vicious mobs lynch mothers and fathers at will and drown sisters and brothers at whim;… when [people] find [their] tongue twisted and speech stammering as [they] seek to explain to [their] six year old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park; … when [they] are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading ‘white’ and ‘colored” (22-33), which demonstrates the pain that segregation causes everyday for so many people.  The effect of the anaphora and parallel structure is an understanding of the accumulation of these things, for the clergymen whom King is addressing do not seem to understand the degree of awfulness that King and non-white people have to endure every day.  The similarity of wording serves to emphasize the compounding of all of these things into something truly horrendous and persuade King’s readers of the true necessity for immediate action against the evils of segregation.  Anaphora is used by King to explain the very real need felt by African Americans for immediate and direct action against racism.

            King draws on rhetorical questions to get his audience to question their own beliefs.  He responds to the criticism that his “actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence”(86-7) by directly questioning his audience, saying “Isn’t this like condemning the robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? … Isn’t this like condemning Jesus because His God-Consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to His will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion?”(87-91)  In asking these questions, King draws parallels between these injustices and the assertion that he promotes violence, which inspires his audience to rethink their own ideas about segregation and injustice.  King also utilizes rhetorical questions to refute the idea that he supports breaking the law, arguing that the law need only be followed if it is just.  He asks readers, “How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust?”(50), which is intended to awaken the readers to the fallacy that even unfair laws should be followed.  King expertly employs rhetorical questions to persuade his audience to reconsider their views on segregation and open their minds to his idea of nonviolent protest.

AP English

March 2015

Letter from Birmingham Jail In Class Practice Essay

            In Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, King uses a variety of rhetorical strategies to respond to and rebut the arguments of the eight clergymen that criticized his actions towards racial equality.  These strategies are evident in paragraphs 14-23 of the letter, where King uses logos, appeals to authority, and selective word choice to eloquently voice his opinions. 

            In paragraphs 14-18, King responds the clergymen’s argument that King and his followers were more than willing to break some laws, yet wanted others enforced.  King uses logos to establish his position on this issue, and backs argument with the words of other well known scholars and religious people.  King’s approach to his argument is simple; he begins by establishing what he calls “just” and “unjust” laws, and goes on to explain the difference between the two.  His claims are backed by quotes from Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas, two highly esteemed religious people that he knows the clergymen will respect.  As the letter continues, King goes on to explore and refute every possible opposition to his cause.  The phrases “just law” and “unjust law” are repeated a number of times in these paragraphs, and Kings explains many different ways to categorize laws as just or unjust, and contrasts the characteristics of an unjust law- one that “distorts the soul” and “damages the personality”- with those of a just law- one that “uplifts human personality”.  By repeating the idea many times, King is emphasizing how much of a difference between the two there is, and establishes the fact that telling a just law from an unjust one is as simple as telling right from wrong. 

            In paragraphs 20-21, King continues on with his argument and compares his ideals to those of Shadrach, Socrates, and early Christians.  By setting his beliefs on the same level as these, Kings is essentially challenging the clergymen to contradict the beliefs of philosophers and scholars.  In the opening of paragraph 21, King goes as far as to compare his civil disobedience with the actions citizens in Nazi Germany.  Here, King is justifying his argument that not all laws should be followed, and strongly states that if he were in the same situation as those in Nazi Germany, he would have done what is morally right.  By introducing the moral aspect of the laws, King is solidifying his argument and appealing to the emotions of the clergymen he is writing to.

 Towards the middle of paragraph 21, King introduces the topic of the “white moderate” and begins a discussion of how this group of people could have done more to help with King’s cause.  King words his arguments carefully in this section. Instead of attacking the clergymen and mentioning all the terrible things that have happened in the south at this time, King refers to the situation in the south as a “negative peace” that has “disappointed” him for the past few years. By wording his arguments cautiously, King is able to get  his points across, without letting his emotions overwhelm the logic of his argument.  This careful tone continues in paragraph 22, as King further describes how the “white moderate” has been detrimental to the equal rights movement.  In this paragraph, King uses extensive metaphors illustrate how these people truly have “[blocked] the flow of social progress.”

In paragraph 23, King brings his arguments together and uses ethos, pathos and logos to get his points across.  His argument is very well rounded, as he appeals to the emotions of his readers by referencing Jesus’ crucifixion, appeals to logos by asking a series of rhetorical questions, and appeals to ethos by referencing Socrates once again.