During week
four of this course, we learned many things about basic rhetorical
strategies, and critical reading such as Division and
Classification, Repetition and cause and effect analysis. By
analyzing and understanding how a writer uses rhetoric in different
situations, you can begin to use these strategies in your own life
to communicate more effectively. After learning these strategies,
it is easy to identify them in use in nearly every piece of writing
we encounter. Such as, Letter from a Birmingham Jail written by
Martin Luther King Jr. on April 16, 1963.
In order for you to completely understand the letter, you
must know why it was written. As stated in Gospel of Freedom:
Martin Luther King Jr.'s
Letter from Birmingham Jail
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He expressed
that he was sorry that they did not share a concern for conditions
that brought the demonstrations, as they had called his actions
deplorable. He informs them that direct action was a necessity as a
sentiment was growing in the black community that would erupt into
violence at any moment. The way the black community had been
treated was the cause of direct action and if nothing had been done
violence would have prevailed. He continued by stating that the
laws they violated were unjust as they were only trying to do what
was right. He states that he wishes they wouldve commended the
demonstrators for their courage and that one day the entire South
would recognize them as heroes and would realize they were standing
up for the American dream. Little did King know that 54 years
later, the letter he wrote would be a great part of American
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Based on this
weeks readings from the book rhetoric and composition/rhetorical
analysis you can clearly see the use of this strategy in Kings
letter. The book defines cause-and-effect analysis as analyzing why
something happened and detailing the events leading up to what
happened. At first, King gives the purpose of the analysis by
stating that he is in jail. He continues to give reasons and
explanations on the causes that led up to his jailing. He explains
the effects that segregation and mistreatment had caused sentiment
among the black race and was reaching a boiling point. He explains
that if that emotion were not channeled in a nonviolent way there
would be violence in the streets. He expresses in detail why direct
action was not only wise but courageous. A good example of King
using cause-and-effect would be when he states, in your statement
you asserted that our actions, even though peaceful, must be
condemned because they precipitate violence. But can this assertion
be logically made? Isn't this like condemning the robbed man
because his possession of money precipitated the evil act
of
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