Rhetorical analysis of “The Ways of meeting Oppression”! “
!In “The Ways of meeting Oppression” Martin Luther King Jr. presents three ways people
deal with oppression. He argues for nonviolent resistance; rejecting acquiescence and physical
violence. To reach his audience he uses several characteristic rhetorical strategies; ethos to
appeal to authority, shared values and specific language and tone to inspire the audiences. “
!King’s essay is organized as a list of those three strategies. He demonstrates to African
American leaders methods how to handle oppression. He compares two opposite ways –
acquiescence and violence, providing facts from history and shared values. By showing the
differences between those two strategies he promotes the third one which is nonviolent
resistance. “
!To reach the audience King refers many times to ethos. He gives an example from the
Bible to appeal to religious black people for whom religion is really important. He gives an
