"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr.

The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was an essay written by Martin Luther King and was not intended to be published. The purpose of the essay was to respond to the comments of the clergymen that had written about Martin Luther King's actions. King had read the newspaper in jail and had decided to reply back but had no paper in his cell. He chose to write on the only thing provided to him; the newspaper with the clergymen's article. King was so determined to respond back to them, that he mailed them their newspaper with a full essay written on every blank space possible on a newspaper. The audience for this essay was the clergymen. King was hurt and a little angry with what the clergymen had to say. The clergymen thought that King was wrong to protest nonviolently and they wanted to start killing and battering the whites just as the whites had done to them. But none of their words were heard by King. Martin Luther King still believed that by not harming anyone, he was proving to the whites that they could be just as good as them without being as violent and destructive as them. Even though King had every right to be angry and disrespectful in the essay, his tone was very diplomatic and civil. King showed everyone just how educated and calm he was. He never dropped down to anyone's level but still never considered himself to be better than anyone. King wrote the way he did so that people would take him seriously.