King argues that the black man will succeed with or without the help of white moderates because they operate with the just ideals of both secular America and divine guidance. Once he establishes the definitions of justice and morality, Dr. However, this passionate but restrained argument ultimately sets the stage for a declaration of what scholar Jonathan Rieder calls “a proclamation of black self-sufficiency” (94). He argues that the clergymen, and his larger audience, should support his cause not because the victims are black but because it is the right thing to do. King cannot avoid the topic, but much of his argument, especially in the letter’s first half, is presented in universalist terms and through abstractions like “justice” and the interrelatedness of man. How does the “Letter” deal with the subject of race?Ĭonsidering it was written in a situation so infused with racial issues, the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is often strangely divorced from explicitly racial issues. However, he for the most part suggests that all men are responsible for all others, an idea that would not be as effective if the tone of the argument was too fiery and confrontational.

There are times when he distinguishes himself and his cause from that of his opponents, particularly in terms of race. However, the restraint also allows him to reinforce one of the letter’s central themes, the interconnectedness of man. His difficult arguments end up practically unimpeachable precisely because he has presented them through logos as well as through pathos. Therefore, by utilizing restraint, he earns a sympathetic ear to which he then declares his proud embrace of extremism and tension. He does not wish to validate his audience’s deep-seeded fears - that the black movement is an extremist set that will engender violence. First, it conforms to his ultimate purpose of justifying his cause as being in the name of justice. King argued that he was too deferential to the white authorities that facilitated segregation and other racist policies, but the tone here seems to serve several purposes. Throughout his career, many critics of Dr. King’s use of restraint in the “Letter.” What does it reveal about his purpose, and what is its effect?Ĭonsidering the context of its creation, the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is remarkably restrained in tone.

Mlk letter from birmingham jail