Analysis of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

AP Language. Sat, Sep 29th, 2007 at 9:23 am

For those who are having trouble finding a copy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” here it is. There is also a .pdf file available on the site. Print it, mark it up, bring it to school Monday. There is a lot to read, so I would break it in half to do part today and part tomorrow. If you have any questions, let me know, but I want you to look for the following:

What is the author’s main argument (thesis)?
Who is his audience?
What rhetorical devices does he employ in supporting his argument?
Is he persuasive?

I am not asking you to write a paper over this, but I need to see annotations throughout your papers on Monday. We will begin a discussion right off, and it is always awkward to be unprepared. Again, send me an email if you are concerned/confounded by this assignment.