BUS303 DISCUSSION
Various individuals utilize ethos, pathos, and logos towards creating emotional appeal or attract the reader’s attention to the informational content. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King utilized ethos, pathos, and logos towards supporting his major arguments. The paper reflects on some of the instances in which the king utilized ethos, logos, and pathos towards getting the intended message across.
First, Luther utilizes pathos towards creating an emotional appeal concerning the experiences of African Americans. For example, the king points out that parents suffer tragic deaths through lynching while children are drowned, and yet the law remains silent on the matter. He argues that such inhumane actions are just advanced without legal responsibility because the white men just felt like doing so. This draws emotional appeal, and the reader can share in the heartbreak experienced by this group of people. Secondly, the king points out an instance where a child cries when she is informed that people of color are not allowed to visit amusement. The child was eager to attend the event after seeing the advertisement. This draws the emotions associated with racism against the blacks, which does not spare even children.
The king utilizes ethos through his demonstration of his moral, knowledgeable, and reasonable approach to life. First, the king ascertains that he is knowledgeable because he points on how he knows Socrates and his major arguments. Furthermore, his comparison of certain encounters with Hitler’s actions shows he is knowledgeable. Secondly, the king shows that he is reasonable because he appreciates that he is not perfect as he reflects on social neglect evident in society. His integration of the Biblical account shows that he is moral.
Martin Luther King utilizes logos in an effective and commendable manner. First, formulates a historical perspective when pointing on some of the faults associated with laws. For example, he notes that Hitler’s regime led to many people’s killing, yet the law kept silent. He appreciates that even though the law did not term such actions as illegal, Hitler’s advances to torture and kill people were morally unacceptable. Furthermore, he makes an ironic account concerning the fact that any attempts to help people from such suffering were considered illegal. A reader can see the logic behind Luther’s letter because of the utilization of such logos.
In summary, logos, ethos, and pathos are used to attract the reader’s attention and draw a certain emotional appeal. Martin Luther utilizes the three in his letter hence leading to clarity on the intended message. It is worth noting that the perfected utilization of Logos and Pathos led to clarity on the king’s illustrations concerning the torture, humiliation, and suffering African Americans faced.
References
HISTORYNET. (2020). Famous Letters and Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. Retrieved 12 October 2020, from https://www.historynet.com/famous-letters-and-speeches-of-martin-luther-king-jr#Letter%20from%20Birmingham%20jail