"Letter from Birmingham Jail"

Paper Summary:

The paper focuses on the grammatical syntax used in "Letter from Birmingham Jail" as well as the themes and tones of nonviolent resistance. The paper attempts to show how this text develops a strong sense of action juxtaposed against a much more passive tone of non-violence and humility. The paper therefore illustrates the multidimensional layer of Martin Luther King Jr.'s non aggressive message of resistance.

From the Paper:

"Martin Luther King Jr. was a very educated man whose passions shine through his prose. Analyzing his words through a grammatical standpoint not only allows us to gain insight on his genius, but also how the intricate complications of the English grammar works in eloquent every day speech. This analysis from a chunk of Dr. King Jr. will explore both the grammatical syntax used in the text, as well as the themes and tones of nonviolent resistance within the context of each sentence. In the progression of the passage, King Jr. moves from an active to passive voice based on his propelling his vision and descriptions of non violent aggression, which is in itself passive yet still active. His relations with the established norm represent a passive voice, while his plans of action in response to that established norm takes on a past tense active voice."

Sample of Sources Used:

• King, Martin Luther Jr. (1963). Letter from Birmingham jail. University of Pennsylvania. African Studies. 12 June. 2008. http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
• Lewis, Michaels. (1986). The English verb: an exploration of structure and meaning. Language Teaching Publications.
• Strunk, William & White, E.B. (1999). The elements of style. Longman Publishers.
• Christ, Henry I. (1961). Heath handbook of English. D.D. Heath and Company.

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