The Letter from Birmingham Jail

King states that there are two types of laws: Just and unjust.  Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a “just” law?

• man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God

• a majority compels a minority to follow and that is willing to follow itself.

• uplifts human personality.

• is out of harmony with the moral law.

Dr. King sought to respond to the criticism he received from people that he considered to be colleagues by methodically addressing each of their claims.

• It's more important to have a timely response to criticism & prejudice than to maintain moral integrity.

• The presence of injustice necessitates a nonviolent response to repair the harms of prejudice & discrimination

• Peace will only be achieved after white supremacists are transformed by the white moderate.

• The church’s role in the civil rights movement continues to create tension & alienate followers

In his opening statement, King says he rarely answers criticisms, but he replies to this because

• Their actions were unwise and untimely.

• He believes them to be sincere and good.

• Their letter shows them to be extremist.

• He wants his letter to bring about change.

According to “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” what is the main reason King and his followers are demonstrating and protesting in Birmingham, instead of negotiating with city leaders?

• because King is affiliated with certain organizations in

  Birmingham

• because King does not trust the white clergy to host fair negotiations

• because a significant

  political election has just taken place in Birmingham

• because Birmingham failed to keep promises made in earlier negotiations

Which of the following sentences from “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is an example of antithesis?

• My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking.

• One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken in Birmingham is untimely.

• My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure

• We know through painful experience that freedom is never

  voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

Which of the following excerpts from “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is an example of an allusion?

• If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me.

• I wish you had commended the Negro sit inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation.

• But now I

  must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral

  means to preserve immoral ends.

• We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was “legal” and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal.”

According to “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” why is King “so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership”?

• King believes that the leaders have become entirely

  absorbed in secular rather than religious concerns.

• King believes that the church has stolen and misused

  donations given by its poorest parishioners.

• King believes that the leaders have not stood up boldly in support of civil rights.

• King believes that the church has nothing relevant to offer to the youth of the 1960s.

What is the primary purpose of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'Letter from Birmingham Jail'?

• To apologize for his actions in Birmingham

• To explain the reasons for his civil disobedience

• To criticize the federal government

• To request financial support for his movement

Which rhetorical device is predominantly used in 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' to emphasize the urgency of civil rights?

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Repetition

• Hyperbole

In 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' King addresses criticisms from which group?

• The federal government

• The white clergy

• The African American community

• The media