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 How is it

“Letter from What is the connected to the
Birmingham What is the main tone of this ideas before or
Jail” idea of this part? paragraph? What does King hope to accomplish with this part? after it?

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

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

Paragraph 1 King addresses the Patient He wanted to express that he values his opinion, so ​It’s asserting
words “unwise and it’s important to address. his reason for
untimely”, he said responding to
that he didn’t have the clergymen in
to take the time to the matter that
answer, but he will he did,
because he respect signifying his
them. care for others.

Paragraph 2 The steps that King Factual He wants to let the clergymen understand that he was He doesn’t
and others have arrested for being involved in a nonviolent action want to cause
taken to try to end protest, not a heinous crime. hatred, he just
discrimination and explains and
the reason for helps people
choosing understand.
Birmingham as the
site for their protest

Paragraph 3 King have to bring Passionate He shows how foolish it is for the clergymen to say He expressed
the freedom to his “wait” for change. He shows that change must happen his painful
hometown as he soon. experience, and
once went through shoed that it
the suffering of was necessity
racism. for him to do do
it.
Paragraph 4 It’s not essential for Factual He hopes to show everyone that no one should be People aren’t
people to treat their separated from the rest of society and no one should treated equally
counterparts like face any kind of injustice. in a nation
outsiders, even where people
though we live in should be
the same country, treated equally
taking up the same and together as
amount of space as one nation
one another. under God.

Paragraph 5 King believes in Factual ​ ​He would like to proceed further with his campaign, Segregation
peace and its but without courage and support from his followers, he can only be put
benefit for all races is unable to advance. to an end if
but is restricted due persuasive
to the city’s white influential
power structure. people stood
aside King and
endorsed his
campaign.

Paragraph 6 The white Factual He hopes to show the people how the words of the King is stuck in
supremacy refused colored race brought zero significance to the a position where
King’s request to be non-colored race. he has support,
heard on problems but needs to be
many times, even if heard in a larger
the discussion was forum to receive
more than peaceful. the bigger
audience but is
not given that
opportunity.

Paragraph 7 By fighting racial Patient He wants to show others that they will not cause He doesn’t
injustice, we are not problems by protesting, they will publicize the want the truths
causing problems, problems. to be tense, he
rather we are just wants to
revealing the solve them in
problem. peace.

Paragraph 8 Since it has been Passionate He wants to use this program in order to expose the ​Even if it only
delayed many times voting parties to the truth. affects people a
because of the little, it is more
mayor election, the than doing
protest will soon nothing.
take place and they
will not wait any
longer.

Paragraph 9 Direct action is Factual His matter of the nonviolent direct action is to create The program is
used to promote a scenario of a major crisis that the community runs delivered in a
negotiation, and to away from, rather than confront directly, and King time-sensitive
retreat out of the wants to dramatize the issue, so it is viewed upfront matter rather
position of living in rather than tossed away and never thought of. than being kept
monologue rather away from the
than dialogue. public and
delayed
indefinitely.
Paragraph The Church used to Factual He hopes to achieve progression in the civil rights The paragraph
10 speak up and cause movement with the new Birmingham administration, before it is also
society to change, without causing more legal pressure than there has about the
but now it accepts already been. inaction of the
injustice and does current church.
not fight for others.

Paragraph Justice that has Reflective He hopes to reach a point in his yet to exist direct It is a new
11 been denied has action campaign which will further into the segregation thought
been delayed for that is taking place, and turning the wait into action reflecting on the
too long which has rather than delay. length of the
resulted in the letter and
oppressor not giving signaling the
freedom, with the close of the text
oppressed
demanding.

Paragraph The law has Factual King hopes to stop the segregation once and for all, The oppressor
12 neglected this especially for the children and for them to have a not being
matter for too long. better future than being disrespected and fighting a involved and
This is when it is in sense of nobodiness. rather depriving
place to stop the the community
spread of racism, of what they
especially in deserve is a
schools. primary cause of
why the colored
public can’t get
one day without
facing judgment.

Closing He hopes that the Passionate He hopes that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will Those who
pastors will join his pass by as if they never existed, and those affected have never felt
cause and change will receive a clean slate and finally the respect that the stinging
society. they deserve. darts of
segregation will
lastly have a
chance to make
the world a
better place,
and to be
considered one
of them by
others.

Analysis Questions

1. Complete the following sentence.

The purpose of King’s letter is to cause ___​negotiation​_______________ to fight _____​the racism​___________________.

1. 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. T ​ here can be no gainsaying of the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community.​ B
​ irmingham 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 bolded part serves as an explanation for the underlined sentence, why it is injustice and why it is emphasizing
Birmingham.

1. 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: ​It described the injustices that they had overcame, and it’s also a thing that affects to the feeling, emotion of the
reader.

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). King constantly talked about
churches leaving the harshly treated people who just wanted to fight for their freedom.

5. In a complete sentence, state the purpose of each paragraph (paragraphs 9 and 10). The purpose of paragraph 9
and 10 is to shame the churches on giving up on this cause.
6. What is the effect of making these points in the order King has chosen? Respond in two to four sentences.

It clearly shows the terrifying discrimination that takes place at the church, and why he wants to change it, make it a
place for everyone. The details he has outlined have brought out the evils of certain groups, it will expose everything
to light. Not only does this affect officials, it bluntly affects others. They will have more motivation to fight together for
their own freedom, and equality.