Rhetorical Analysis of MLK Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

Paper Requirements

Length: 4-5 pages (that means AT LEAST 4 full pages of text).
Paper set-up: use MLA style.
A Works Cited page is required.
A Works Cited page is always the last page of an essay – all by itself. The page numbers of the essay carry through to the Works Cited page
The entries of a Works Cited page are in alphabetical order by author’s last name.
Be sure to begin with a creative title that will invite the audience (me) to continue reading.
When you quote from the essay, be sure to cite the author’s last name and the page number. It should look like this:
When discussing the unequal application of the rules, King makes the point that it is easy to misinterpret the law when he says, “Sometimes law is just on its face and unjust in application” (180).

Or:

The connection between King and other great thinkers who found themselves faced with having to stand up for their ideas is made clear by Jacobus, who states: “King, like Thoreau, was willing to suffer for his views, especially when he found himself faced with punitive laws denying civil rights to all citizens” (211).

Note that the end punctuation is outside of the parenthesis; and note that there is no punctuation between the author’s name and the page number.

I expect a thesis that states clearly which paragraphs in King’s letter you believe have the most emotional appeal. Do not use the phrases “I believe,” “I think,” or “in my opinion” – an academic audience already assumes that what they are reading is your opinion.

I expect body paragraphs that describe point by point how King is using the rhetorical appeal in the section you have chosen. These paragraphs should include quotes from the text for support of your argument. Be sure to use MLA citation.

The organization of the essay should reveal which examples you think are most powerful. Do not simply follow the order these examples are given in the book; organize your paper creatively, in other words.