What was the main message of the Letter from Birmingham Jail?
It says that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and to take direct action rather than waiting potentially forever for justice to come through the courts.
What are the three main points of the Letter from Birmingham Jail?
The main themes in “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” include justice, civil disobedience, and Christianity. Justice: King argues that denying justice to one person threatens justice for everyone.
What is the most powerful quote in Letter from Birmingham Jail?
Letter from the Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
What are some metaphors used in Letter from Birmingham Jail?
King combines many different juxtapositions in one long metaphorical passage. He compares prejudice to dark clouds and deep fog, while love and brotherhood are described as radiant stars that shine with scintillating beauty.
What was Martin Luther King Jr’s purpose for writing the letter from Birmingham jail and what is his point of view?
From the Birmingham jail, where he was imprisoned as a participant in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote in longhand the letter which follows. It was his response to a public statement of concern and caution issued by eight white religious leaders of the South.
What was Martin Luther King Jr’s purpose for writing the Letter from Birmingham Jail and what is his point of view?
What is the clergymen’s main point in their letter?
The clergymen make four specific accusations: (1) King is an outsider; (2) he and his followers should negotiate for change rather than demonstrate; (3) their actions are “untimely”; and (4) there is no justification for breaking the law.
What might Dr King have generally felt about the intended audience of his letter cite evidence from the text to support your answer?
King’s intended audience is the clergy who are critical of his activities. In the text, King claims he is doing nothing wrong by protesting peacefully. He says, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” By saying this, King declares his innocence.
What is the dam that blocks the flow of social progress?
“Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
What are the allusions in Letter from Birmingham Jail?
Allusions In Letter From Birmingham Jail uses allusions to the Bible to show the hypocrisy of the white clergymen. In his “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” he writes, “Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid,” to justify his actions in Birmingham.