Begin by identifying the parts of the rhetorical situation at play in Letter from Birmingham Jail:
o Identify the speaker: how do they establish their role and identity? What evidence do they provide to establish ethos, or their authority to speak on this subject?
o Likewise, identify their audience. Does the speaker highlight and shared interests or common ground between himself and the audience?
o Provide context: where is the speaker writing from, and at what point in time are they writing? Does the speaker mention why the issue he describes is urgent or timely (kairos)?
o What information is the speaker giving the audience—in other words, what do you take to be the message?
o How are the parts of the rhetorical situation are working together toward a purpose (goal, desired result)?
Sample Solution
