Stephanie N.

Price
Daybook Entry #2
A letter form a Birmingham Jail
Q. Where does King use analogies- historical and otherwise- to strengthen his arguments? Why
do you think he makes these particular comparisons? How are they related to his political goals?
A. King uses analogies when he compares the leaders to the Germans during the holocaust. He
makes this comparison so that they can see how bad they are being treated so that his people
might be free from their oppression.
Q. According to King, what is direct action, and what is its purpose?
A. According to Kind the direct action needed was protest and sit ins. His purposed in this was
because it was taking a long time for things to change, so they needed to make things happen.
Q. In many parts of his letter, King writes in a detached, almost scholarly style, citing
philosophers and theologians. Where does he use more emotional language? What do you think
he is trying to achieve with this language? Do you think this language effectively supports his
argument?
A. King uses strong language when he talks about how his people are being persecuted. I believe
this was effective because it gets his point across, makes the leaders feel something and helps
them paint a picture in their heads about what it feels like to be one of the people being
persecuted.