Introduction
Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was written in order to provide a comprehensive and detailed response to white clergy. The latter was known for criticizing Martin Luther King’s methods of protest, which was nonviolent civil disobedience. In his letter, the activist explains that he usually dismisses any form of criticism of his beliefs and works, where he claims that any attempt to respond to all the criticisms would yield little time for constructive work (King, 1963). Therefore, Martin Luther King Jr. usually did not have the time nor will to respond to criticism, but since the white clergy’s criticism seemed to be rooted in genuine interest and goodwill, he decided to answer it.
Main body
The letter development strategy selected for the given assessment and paraphrasing is centered around topic sentences and narrative inquiry in order to obtain the most valuable information in the most condensed format (Frank et al., 2021). After explaining his attitude towards criticism, Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the “outsider” argument, where he elaborates that he is in the given location due to a high degree of injustice in the region (King, 1963). In addition, he also claims that states are interconnected, and thus, communities all across the United States are not isolated islands (King, 1963). Martin Luther King Jr. further elaborates on the fact that the white clergy’s concerns about demonstrations should be expanded in order to include the causes as well (King, 1963). The selected strategy is effectively used in the letter due to each paragraph addresses a specific point made by the author. Therefore, focusing on topic sentences only enables a quicker and more effective approach to decoding the core context of the writing.
The quote: “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (King, 1963, p. 5). Paraphrase: Martin Luther King Jr. states that African American community is well-experienced in the fight for freedom and aware that the latter can be obtained through demand only (King, 1963). As residents of the United States, African Americans partly share the views of white Americans about the world since they are united not only by territory but also by a common history.
However, there are a number of concepts on the perception of which the peculiarities of the history of the United States have left an imprint, namely the long-term oppression of African Americans by white inhabitants of America. In this regard, they have developed a unique dream of their own, the “African American Dream.” This new concept is key to the African American picture of the world, as it is the essence of the aspirations of African Americans, and their hopes for the future, which they have lived for many decades (King, 1963). Throughout the history of its existence, the “African American Dream” has undergone a significant number of transformations and has been replenished with new components more than once. Its development is closely related to the struggle of African Americans for equal rights.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Martin Luther King appeals to the African American experience, recreating dark images of the present and painting a brighter future. The present corresponds to the idea of hell and is associated with harsh weather, while the future is portrayed as sunny and joyful. In this letter, the fight for freedom is a fight for the proper treatment of African Americans in society, to get rid of segregation and discrimination, to equalize African Americans and white Americans in rights, and to recognize them as an integral part of the US population.
References
Frank, J. M., Granruth, L. B., Girvin, H., & Leffler, B. (2021). Paper trails: Using letter writing to understand social isolation and poverty in a rural community. Journal of Social Work, 1, 1-16. Web.
King, M. L. (1963). Letter from a Birmingham Jail [PDF document]. Web.