Letter from Birmingham Jail Review

Lines 340-363:What are the "two opposing forces" King discusses in this section? How does King's discussion of these two forces serve his purpose?

Accepting Inequality or angry force = King is a reasonable force for positive change

Lines 384-410:How does King shift the idea of being "extremist" from something negative to something positive? How does the concluding sentence of this passage (lines 408-410) directly address his audience?

Alluding to great historical figures who could be called extremists. Addresses the claim that his actions are unwise.

Lines 313-336:Why is it important in these lines for King to address the counterclaim that African Americans will eventually receive equal rights? Identify King's counterargument and cite his reasons.

Change is not inevitable but comes through actions.

Lines 607-608: What two seminal documents does King reference as historical allusions on this page? What effect do references to these particular seminal documents have on King's audience?

Constitution & Declaration of Independence = links civil rights to the cause of American independence

Lines 497-510: What central claim does King make in this paragraph? What reasons and evidence does he use to support it?

Early church had influence and was powerful. Reasons = early Christian would suffer for what they believed in to create change.

Lines 423-429:What words in this passage have negative connotations? In what way does King contrast these negative words with the positive situation he is describing?

Filthy, dirty, abuse, suffering, brutality, roach-infected. Positive=white allies, negative= what they endure for the cause

Lines 17-43:What is a religious reason King gives on this page? Why did King include religious allusions in his letter?

He alludes to Paul who carried the word of the gospel beyond his hometown. He is writing to clergymen.

Lines 247-264: What allusions are in these two paragraphs? How does King use these allusions to support his argument in favor of civil disobedience?

He alludes to the bible, American history, WWII, the Cold War, Ancient Greece and Rome

Lines 104-119:Identify all the instances of the word tension in these lines. In what ways do the meaning and tone of the word tension change over the course of the paragraph?

He changes the meaning from negative to positive.

Lines 299-336:Using text evidence, state King's counterargument to the assertion that the actions of Birmingham's African American community precipitated violence and must be condemned. Explain one example King uses to address the clergymen's statement.

He writes that it is like a robbed man being condemned for having money that someone else wanted.

Lines 282-290:In his letter, why does King discuss white moderates, who were generally sympathetic to the cause of civil rights? What implied counterclaim does King address here?

His audience includes white moderates. Counterclaim = protesters should only proceed in lawabiding ways

Lines 558-571: What counterclaim in the clergymen's letter is King addressing here? What evidence does King's counterargument provide?

King is responding to the praise for the police force which he strongly disagrees with.

Lines 216-237:Identify the specific examples King provides of either unjust laws or the unjust application of just laws. Why are concrete examples such as those King provides important here?

Laws that prevent people from voting and the permit to parade ordinance.

Lines 572-585: What words and ideas in this section of the text echo earlier ideas in the letter, including King's stated reasons for being in Birmingham?

Moral Reasons = just & unjust laws

Lines 17-43: King provides three different types of reasons in his letter to justify his presence in Birmingham: organizational reasons, religious or historical reasons, and moral reasons. Choose one type of reason and cite an example from these lines. Explain why the example fits your chosen reason.

Moral= "Injustice is here"

Lines 151-179:Identify the parallel structure used in this passage. What effect does this use of parallel structure have on King's argument?

Repeats "when you" ending with "then you". It helps to establish the pattern of discrimination.

Lines 2-12: What is one claim opposing King's work to which he is responding in the first paragraph of the letter? To whom is he responding, and why is this audience significant?

Respond to the claim that his actions are "unwise and untimely." A group of religious leaders because they are equal.

Lines 265-267:What tone does King create through his word choices in these lines? What effect does this shift in tone have on King's audience?

Humble, apologetic tone = shift from direct and forceful

Lines 540-557: What references to American history are in this paragraph? How do these references support the idea that African Americans deserve equal rights?

Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock & Thomas Jefferson writing the Declaration of Independence = All throughout history African Americans have been a crucial part of the country's development.

Lines 205-210:What two references or allusions in this passage were chosen to appeal to King's audience of fellow clergymen? Why are these references well suited to King's audience?

St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas = reminds his audience that he is one of them - a well-educated religious authority

Lines 446-485: What is at least one contrast between what King expected from religious leaders and what actually happened? How does the contrast support his claim and address his audience?

Support because it is morally right not just because it is the law. People expect action from religious leaders which might cause some to lose faith.

Lines 183-194:What other seminal document does King refer to in this paragraph? Which of King's three reasons for being in Birmingham is supported by this distinction between just and unjust laws?

Supreme Court decision of 1954, moral=right (just) and wrong (unjust)

Lines 66-101: Why might King have taken the time so early in the letter to delve into such minute detail about steps taken and recent events in Birmingham?

The work is not untimely but in fact long overdue .