Kings letter encompasses the message of universal justice. During the Civil Rights Movement there were horrendous amounts of racial injustice and King shows that through his diction. For example, King uses the words "reasonable" and "patient" when explaining his movement. These words show the audience that he and his group mean no harm; that all they want to do is make a difference. These words induce the readers to feel sympathetic to the African Americans in that time because they are being so "reasonable" and "patient" yet are still being treated unequally. Another example would be his repetition of the word "injustice" to emphasize the unfair nature of their issue. King has his readers understand with compassionate hearts that what he and his race are facing is unjust. Kings use of diction helped to convey his message of universal justice because it made his readers fell sympathetic and compassionate about his issue and show the entirety of the issue of civil liberties.
Pathos was used as well as diction to demonstrate universal justice. For example, King stated "we know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed" to cause a surge of empathy in his audience. The readers feel anger towards the oppressors for enslaving these individuals and urge them to move forward and right the wrongs. Also, pathos can be found threaded in the sentence "but when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hateful policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty..." Because of the diction, imagery, and emotional response triggered from reading this. Diction such as "smothering" and "hateful" have strong connotative meanings of evil and violent out comings. These words paint a picture in your mind of a hateful white policeman kicking am innocent black man and urging you to act because of the anger you feel towards the policeman. Pathos was a very evident device King used to promote his message of universal justice.
Finally, ethos was used by King to enhance his message as well. King constantly uses the words "us," "we," and "our" to show that he is just one of us. He is connecting with his audience by showing his persona as not only being that of a Civil Rights activist, but also just another man fighting for his rights. He uses these words to show that he is fighting the same battle as we are therefore building his ethos because his audience is more likely to trust him. Also, Kings personal anecdotes allow his reader to step into his life and see that he has nothing to hide so they trust him more for that reason as well. King also possesses ethos from the start because of his standing in the community as a Civil Rights activist because he already owns respect and trust from his audience. Ethos played a strong role in enhancing his message of universal Justice.
In conclusion, King used diction, pathos, and ethos to convey his message of universal Justice. Diction exemplified the Civil Rights movement and their strong connotative meanings. Pathos urged his audience to act on the issue and fight for what is right because of the sympathy and anger they experienced. Ethos allowed King to gain trust from his audience advancing his purpose of his audience understanding his meaning. In a time of segregating and injustice, King brought to life the societal defects and promoted his idea of universal justice for all.
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