The Quiz on the Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Quiz on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

Directions: Read pp. 423-441 in Composition Mix. Use the reading to respond to these questions. This is an open book quiz. Do not use outside sources to respond to the questions. This assignment is designed to help you understand rhetorical decisions that are made in arguments. After you complete this, you will make rhetorical decisions in your own argument on your own topic. This quiz is required.

1.                 Who is his audience? (There are at least two wrong answers: “everyone who reads it” and anything else that is too general.) Clergymen or Preachers who would read this to their congregation.

2.                 What is he trying to accomplish? (For instance: a change of opinion, a modification of knowledge) State it clearly. To promote nonviolent campaign

3.                 Why is it important for him to change the opinion, modify knowledge, etc., of the audience?

Change wouldn’t take place if violence would continue.

4.                 WhaWt will happen if the change or modification, etc., does not occur? This is King’s statement of the case. We will still be segregated

5.                 What reasons (logos) does Dr. King provide for his argument? List at least three and offer the page numbers in the chart below:

Reason When he speaks about we waited for 340 years for our constitutional rights.	Page Number 430
When he speaks of nonviolence.	425
When he points out the purpose of our direct-action	427

 

6.                 Dr. King discusses reasons various audiences might oppose his claim. Find at least one place in which he does that and tell what page you found it on. He has built ethos there by establishing credibility. When he gives example using the moral and law of God

 

7.                 Dr. King also builds ethos by building common ground. Find at least one example of him building common ground with his audience. When he speak of the leadership of the bus protest in Alabama

8.                 Dr. King builds pathos, emotional connection, in many places. Find at least one place in which he does that and tell what page you found it on. When he describe the lynching and drownings of African americans.

9.                 Dr. King builds pathos, emotional connection, by his use of language. On page 428, paragraph 15, Dr. King includes a sentence that is more than 300 words long. Read that sentence out loud to yourself. Note how he uses repetition and rhythm as he offers examples. Content warning: this sentence includes multiple uses of at least one offensive racist term plus an offensive word that was not racist at the time. Write about how this sentence connected to you emotionally. This made me very upset just thinking about trying to explain to my children that they couldn’t attend a game, visit a museum, or either participate in various activities because of the color of their skin makes me extremely angry. Not being able to sit or go where they wanted to due to their skin. Being called out of their names due to the color of their skin. Yes, this mad me mad. I can’t even fathom how he or anyone can build up the words to try and justify the injustice.