Question

ethos, pathos, & logos
“i have a dream” & “letter from birmingham jail”
*america has given the negro
people a bad check, a check which
has come back marked
‘insufficient funds.’” (p. 158)
☐ ethos
☐ pathos
☐ logos
“i have a dream that my four little
children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the
color of their skin but the content of
their character” (p. 159)
☐ ethos
☐ pathos
☐ logos
part two: ethos, pathos, & logos in “letter from birmingham jail”

1. read the quotes from king’s letter. the page numbers are there in case you

want to read the quotes in context.

1. identify which rhetorical appeal is present in this quote.

a. it is possible for a quote to have more than one appeal!
b. appeals are used more than once, and not equally.

1. explain your thinking in the “explanation” column.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each quote for rhetorical appeals (Ethos: credibility, Pathos: emotion, Logos: logic/reason):

First Quote: "America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked 'insufficient funds.'"

• Logos: Uses a logical metaphor (comparing unfulfilled civil rights promises to a bad check) to reason about America’s failure to uphold its commitments.
• Pathos: Also evokes emotion (frustration, betrayal) by framing the injustice as a financial betrayal.

Second Quote: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character."

• Pathos: Appeals to emotion (hope, parental concern, desire for justice) by sharing a personal, heartfelt vision for children’s future.

Answer:

ing the Checkbox Questions:

1. For the first quote:

• Check Logos (logical metaphor) and/or Pathos (emotional impact of the "bad check" metaphor).

1. For the second quote:

• Check Pathos (emotional appeal through a parent’s dream for their children).

Example Explanations (for the "Explanation" column):

• First quote: "Logos: Compares unfulfilled civil rights to a 'bad check' (logical metaphor). Pathos: The 'insufficient funds' metaphor evokes frustration over broken promises."
• Second quote: "Pathos: Describes a parent’s dream for their children, appealing to emotions like hope and a desire for justice."

Final Answers (Checkbox Selections):

• First quote: $\boldsymbol{\checkmark}$ Logos (and/or $\boldsymbol{\checkmark}$ Pathos)
• Second quote: $\boldsymbol{\checkmark}$ Pathos

(Adjust based on whether the task requires selecting one or multiple appeals; the problem notes "it is possible for a quote to have more than one appeal.")