Purposeful Structure in King's Letter

Recall the writing prompt for this unit:

What makes King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" powerful and effective? After reading King's letter, answer the question by analyzing how he uses structure and
language purposefully in his text. Provide specific examples from the text to support your analysis.

Your study of structure in this assignment will begin to help you answer this question and respond to the prompt later in the unit.

Using what you learned in the lesson, complete the following chart and respond to the analysis questions in complete sentences. Some parts of the chart are already
completed for you. Use the activities from the lesson to help you complete the rest of the chart.

Part from What is the

Heading The heading shows that King is in jail. Not applicable He hopes to show the injustice of the Not applicable
situation.

Greeting King addresses “fellow clergymen.” Kind He shows that he is also a clergyman and The whole letter is written to these
that he considers himself a part of the clergymen who criticized King for
group he is addressing. taking action.

Paragraph 1 King expresses, “Seldom, if ever, do I pause to Patient He is explaining to the pastor that he King considers himself a clergyman
answer criticism of my work and ideas.” This values his opinion and thought it was and thinks that he should explain
shows that King thinks the pastor’s opinions are important to address. himself to the other clergymen.
important to address.
Paragraph 2 The steps that King and others have taken to try Factual King hopes to help the pastor King want to be respectful or the
to end discrimination and the reason for understand why he decided to protest to pastor and his opinions. King is only
choosing Birmingham as the site for their protest end discrimination. He ensures that the explaining his side, not bashing on the
pastor understands the careful steps he pastor for having a different opinion.
has taken thus far.

Paragraph 3 King will not wait for injustice to solve itself, he Passionate He shows how foolish it is for the King now explains why it would be
must take action now. clergymen to say “wait” for change. He foolish for him to wait to take those
shows that change must happen soon. steps to end discrimination.

Paragraph 4 When ordinance is used to preserve segregation Factual King hopes to bring attention to the King believes that his attempt at
and to deny citizens the First Amendment it is unfair charge he was given for “parading ending discrimination was not against
unjust. without a permit.” any laws and he believes this is
another example of discrimination.

Paragraph 5 King explains that an individual who breaks a law Factual He hopes the clergymen will understand King was told his protest was breaking
and then willingly accepts the penalty is that King believes he is not breaking any a law, but he believes he was unfairly
expressing the very highest respect for law. laws and is also being very respectful. charged. He still obeys the law and
willingly goes to jail.

Paragraph 6 King expresses that some laws are okay to be Passionate To make the clergymen further King thinks that if the clergymen
disobeyed because they are unjust. He explains, understand where he stands on this understand where he is coming from,
“If I had lived in Germany during that time, I issue. they may except him and his ideas
would have aided and comforted my Jewish more.
brothers even though it was illegal.”

Paragraph 7 By fighting racial injustice, we are not causing Passionate He wants to remind the pastors that he King does not believe he broke any
problems, rather we are revealing the problem. and other activists are not causing laws with his protest. He would have
problems by protesting; instead, they are and will do it again even though it is
revealing the problems in society. against the law.

Paragraph 8 Now is the time to make a change, there is no Passionate King wants the clergymen to the know This section is connected to almost all
point in waiting. that he will not sit back and watch racial of the sections because King wants the
prejudice bloom and wait for others to clergymen to know that he will not
solve it. give up even after this unfair charge.
Paragraph 9 King wonders if the negro men and women of Reflective King wants to express that he believes The paragraph below also mentions
the places he travels to get to freely worship that many negro men and women find the church and how it is connected to
their god to help support them through racial comfort in the church and their religion. racial injustice.
injustice.

Paragraph 10 The Church used to speak up and cause society Passionate King wants the clergymen to understand The paragraph before it is also about
to change, but now it accepts injustice and does that he is disappointed in the church for the inaction of the current church.
not fight for others. not continuing their fight for justice.

Paragraph 11 King’s letter would not have been as long and Reflective I believe king hopes that the clergymen It is a new thought reflecting on the
drawn out if he weren’t stuck in a jail cell. will pity him by saying how he forced to length of the letter and signaling the
write from a jail cell. close of the text.

Paragraph 12 King is hopeful that racial prejudice will soon go Hopeful He wasn’t the clergymen to know his Like the paragraph below, King hopes
away and people will able to be understanding ultimate goal which is for there to be that the clergymen will understand
and united. peace and justice. and help him in the future.

Closing He hopes that the pastors will join his cause and Passionate He wants the pastors to join his cause Like the paragraph above, King wants
change society. and help him change society. the clergymen to understand where
he is coming from so they can help
him and get on his side.

Analysis Questions

1. Complete the following sentence.

The purpose of King’s letter is to cause the clergymen to fight racism.

2. What is the relationship between the underlined sentence and the bolded sentences?

In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: (1) Collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive; (2) Negotiation; (3) Self-purification; and (4)
Direct action. We have gone through all of these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying of the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is
probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of police brutality is known in every section of this country. Its unjust treatment of
Negroes in the courts is a notorious reality. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than any city in this nation. These
are the hard, brutal, and unbelievable facts. On the basis of these conditions Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the political leaders consistently
refused to engage in good faith negotiation.

Response: The underlined sentence is explaining that no one can say that the community isn’t extremely segregated or racist. The bold sentences give examples of why
Birmingham was the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. The two sections are very similar and express the same idea.

3. What is the purpose of the sentence "These are the hard, brutal, and unbelievable facts" in the following paragraph?

In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: (1) Collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive; (2) Negotiation; (3) Self-purification; and (4)
Direct action. We have gone through all of these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying of the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is
probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of police brutality is known in every section of this country. Its unjust treatment of
Negroes in the courts is a notorious reality. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than any city in this nation. These are
the hard, brutal, and unbelievable facts. On the basis of these conditions Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the political leaders consistently
refused to engage in good faith negotiation.

Response: The purpose of the sentence is to express the seriousness of the issue. Before this sentence, many examples of why Birmingham was the most thoroughly
segregated city in the United States were given. This sentence follows up and explains why the facts cannot be ignored. Racism is brutal and must not be ignored.

For questions 4-6, reread the following paragraphs from King's letter, paying attention to the way that he structures his ideas.

Paragraph 9 of 12

I have travelled the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings I have looked
at her beautiful churches with their spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlay of her massive religious education buildings. Over and over again I
have found myself asking: "Who worships here? Who is their God? Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and
nullification? Where were their voices of support when tired, bruised, and weary Negro men and women decided to rise from the dark dungeons of complacency to the
bright hills of creative protest?"

Paragraph 10 of 12

There was a time when the Church was very powerful ... In those days the Church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular
opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Wherever the early Christians entered a town the power structure got disturbed and immediately
sought to convict them for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators." Things are different now. The contemporary Church is so often a weak, ineffectual
voice with an uncertain sound. It is so often the arch-supporter of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the Church, the power structure of the
average community is consoled by the Church's silent and often vocal sanction (approved action) of things as they are.

4. In a complete sentence, state the main idea of each paragraph (paragraphs 9 and 10).

In paragraph nine, King wonders if the negro men and women of the places he travels to get to freely worship their god to help support them through racial injustice. In
paragraph ten, King explains how the Church used to speak up and cause society to change, but now it accepts injustice and does not fight for others.

5. In a complete sentence, state the purpose of each paragraph (paragraphs 9 and 10).

In paragraph nine, King wants to express that he believes that many negro men and women find comfort in the church and their religion. In paragraph ten, King wants
the clergymen to understand that he is disappointed in the church for not continuing their fight for justice.

6. What is the effect of making these points in the order King has chosen? Respond in two to four sentences.
King first explains how he sees all the different places negros go to worship their god and how they get support and comfort from their church. Then
King explains that the Church has given up trying to change society and has excepted injustice. King is disappointed in the church for their lack of
support to the oppressed.