https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t en-us 2016-09-13 16:14:24 UTC 2025-10-21 19:34:57 UTC hello@padlet.com rnelson5 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123890638 Padlet is just used for virtual discussions.

]]> 2016-09-14 18:48:25 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123890638 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123929907 Gladwell and King portray the organization of civil rights groups differently. Gladwell emphasizes the idea of a "military campaign" and the way in which he describes the strategy that went into the protests is reminiscent of a battle. Throughout his essay, he suggests that such a power structure is integral to successful change. This contrasts with Martin Luther Kind Jr, who does not focus on this aspect of the organizations, but rather the ideas that the groups are standing behind. He does mention the training the protesters underwent prior to the protest, but this does not fully paint the structure of the organization in the way it is painted by Gladwell. This difference is most likely because Kind was trying to connect to the emotions of his audience, and therefore didn't want to compare his group to a military force, especially when he was making the distinction between them and radical extremists who would use more violent methods. ]]> 2016-09-14 22:06:54 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123929907 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123933509 Both King and Gladwell use expert testimony to strengthen the credibility of their arguments; however, I believe that Gladwell did so to develop logos in his piece while King did so in a way more affiliated with pathos. I say this because King refers more to the words and beliefs of some of the world's most highly commended philosophers and (in some senses) activists such as Socrates, Abraham Lincoln, and even Jesus Christ while Gladwell chooses to incorporate the thoughts of accredited yet less well-known and admired sources. King wants the audience to understand his passion and devotion to his rights and freedoms, and so he uses expert testimony to develop an emotional reaction within the reader. Gladwell on the other hand chose to include more specific data/study related content to support his argument that social media activism varies greatly from the "high-risk" activism of the 1950s and 60s. ]]> 2016-09-14 22:55:41 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123933509 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123937694 In "Letter from Birmingham Jail", the tone is very passionate, yet direct. Martin Luther King is very passionate about getting civil rights for colored people and freedom for everyone because it is something that affects him directly. He gets to be very emotional during certain parts of the letter, displaying how much he cares about segregation. MLK is also very direct in this letter, as he is writing it to the eight clergymen. His response accuses the clergymen and the police for treating them unfairly because of the color of their skin. He directly tells them that he was leading a non violent protest and he would not have gotten arrested if he was not black. In "Small Change", Gladwell's tone is very concerning. He does not think that how people are handling issues in society today is smart. Social media is very effective in handling and spreading social issues, but it is not the best way. In his opinion, it is better for people to get together in person and plan movements. It is a much more effective strategy and leaves less room for conflict. I find it easier to engage with King's tone in "Letter from Birmingham Jail" because it was a very powerful letter to me. I became very moved and emotional from his words, and it was definitely an interesting read. I become more invested in pieces that have a lot of passion and emotion because it holds my interest and I remember a lot about the piece.]]> 2016-09-14 23:54:20 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123937694 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123941383 The tone in "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is very sentimental and also somewhat straightforward. This letter evoked a lot of emotion from its audience, as intended, because the use of pathos appeals to many people. As for Malcolm Gladwell's "Small Change", the tone is more informative and worrisome. He appears to be concerned with the way today's society uses social media as a way to become civilly engaged. Although, the article was very informative as to how different groups of people and age groups approach solving problems and getting involved with current issues. Personally, I was more engaged by King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" because the pathos appeal creates a stronger connection and understanding between the author and audience. Gladwell's use of logos, although effective, was not as engaging for me as a reader. The point of the article was still clearly conveyed, though. ]]> 2016-09-15 00:40:10 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123941383 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123942404 The tone in "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by MLK Jr. portrays a more emotional tone when compared to Gladwell's "A Small Change." MLK Jr. used his letter to relay a more sentimental, pathos argument. There was still many examples of ethos and logos, but the emotional picture drawn by the letter was the strongest use of rhetoric, in my opinion. Gladwell had a tone of concern and a want to change the new generation and the "digital society." They are similar due to the strong use of rhetoric, allowing the reader to understand and agree with the point they are trying to make. They are both effective arguments. Personally, I found MLK Jr's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" more engaging. This is due to the high level of emotion and pathos. I was able to sympathize and even learn new things about the Civil War that I had not known before. ]]> 2016-09-15 00:50:33 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123942404 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123942461 In the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr., the tone is presented in a respectively emotional away when describing his points. I find that MLK defends his arguments with respect to the other side even though he descriptively mentions all the struggles the people have been put through because of the segregation. If I recall correctly, he includes why they disagree with his actions is understandable at one point, even though their mindset is wrong. This portrays he is being respectful as he tries to emotionally appeal to his audience, in order to get his point across. I feel that in "Same Change" by Malcolm Gladwell, it was quite the opposite. In terms of explaining and connecting his quote to what he is trying to do, he was being straightforward with facts. He did not so much appeal emotionally to his audience, because he had an aggrieved tone. I felt that "Letters from Birmingham Jail" was easier to engage with because his use of pathos. Weirdly enough, the topic was easier for me to understand than the points made in Gladwell's article. ]]> 2016-09-15 00:51:06 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123942461 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123943407 Martin Luther King Jr. was very great in that he could make his argument flow from logic to emotion and from emotion back to logic. Gladwell, on the other hand, was Tiny Tim, and logic was his crutch. While he was very convincing in his deductive reasoning, some part of me just kept asking, why should I care? I know, that must sound awful on the subject of civil rights, but if a writer cannot bring an argument home, then it's an argument not worth reading. Again, they both showed merit beyond my own skill and that of others, but MLK was much more eloquent in his talent to play the human emotions.]]> 2016-09-15 01:00:47 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123943407 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123943588 The tone of "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was more reflective, confident, and direct term. MLK Jr doesn't waste time in stating his reason for writing the letter; in fact, it's in the first paragraph when MLK says "since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I would like to answer your statement" (King 1). He uses logos, ethos and pathos to directly get his point across to his audience, and he's certainly not hesitant to share his opinion. Throughout the letter, he looks back to the protests he was apart of and why he was imprisoned, and he uses it all to explain his side of things, and he does so very calmly, making his tone sound reflective, confident, and direct. "Small Change" on the other hand, is more of a critical tone. Instead of using pathos, ethos, and logos to convey a point, Gladwell uses examples (that contain more ethos than anything) to make readers understand. He begins by talking about how social media affects protests, and he disagrees with people saying that revolution spreads through social media. With his disagreement, he provides a more critical tone, helping readers see the problem with that statement. ]]> 2016-09-15 01:03:14 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123943588 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123944524 MLK Jr uses expert testimony in a very different method in "Letter from Birmingham Jail" than Malcolm Gladwell did in "Small Change". MLK Jr relies on the use of a short phrases that he then relates to his own argument to make it stronger. Gladwell, however, uses long anecdotes to depict an event that occurred. These anecdotes have a moral that relate to Gladwell's purpose. MLK Jr's technique is much more persuasive due to his use of additional rhetoric devices, while Gladwell's is more entertaining due to the story format. Both authors cater to their specific audience. Gladwell writes an informative, yet entertaining piece to education the general population on how social media has changed the organization of protests, and MLK Jr writes a persuasive piece on the importance of the Civil Rights movement and the injustice of segregation in the south.]]> 2016-09-15 01:15:22 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123944524 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123945597 The tone in "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is very emotional and affectionate. Martin Luther King Jr’s letter had a lot of inspiration and he was able to use effective pathos to appeal to as many people as he could. As for Malcolm Gladwell's "Small Change", the tone is more strict and informative. He seems to be very fascinated and concerned with the way today's society uses social media to interact as their form of communication.  Gladwell’s’ article was very interesting on his view about how people solve problems and connect differently based on their age and the time period they live in.  When you stop and think about it technology and social media has forever changed communication and the way kids obtain world information.  However, I preferred Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" because the pathos, logos, and ethos he used were so smooth and the whole piece flowed nicely.  He was very persuasive and used the rhetorical strategies to perfection as he described his view point.  Kings letter was very inspirational and connected really well with his intended audience. Gladwell’s use of logos, although effectively done, was not as entertaining. The point he was trying to get across was still clearly stated, however his pathos was not as strong as Dr. Kings.]]> 2016-09-15 01:24:40 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123945597 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123945908 Martin Luther King Jr. and Gladwell utilize expert testimonies in different and similar ways. As expert testimony is when an opinion is given by a highly educated individual on a given topic. For Martin Luther King Jr, "Letter from Birmingham Jail" revolves around the idea regarding the segregation in the south and the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. Throughout MLK's piece, he utilizes a variety of rhetorical devices such as pathos, rhetorical questions, and anaphoras. Each rhetorical device was used in order to grab the audience's attention, especially through his use of pathos. MLK uses pathos consistently to further his argument focusing on explaining what it was like to be a Negro at the time and what he hoped society would react but did not. His main purpose throughout the entire piece is to rid of segregation in the south and rid the racial discrimination. In contrast to Gladwell's "Small Change," he utilizes rhetorical devices that were not as effective as MLK's, in my opinion. However, his use of anecdotes was an interesting way to build the foundation of his argument and used logos as support through credible sources as he speaks about social media. But, MLK alludes to philosophers who were in agreement to his beliefs making it more personal. Overall, both authors used rhetorical devices differently as the argument they essentially made was different. ]]> 2016-09-15 01:27:40 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123945908 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123947393 The use of expert testimony in the writing of Martin Luther King Jr. and Gladwell have both similarities and differences in relation to each other. The differences between the expert testimony used in their writing is based on the point that was trying to get across to readers and each author's personal connections to the topic discussed. In "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Martin Luther King Jr. uses a wide variety of rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, logos, anaphora, allusions, rhetorical questions, and syntax. Martin Luther King Jr.'s use of these many different types of rhetorical devices ensures that his writing has an impact of all different types of readers. As a writer and a leader for civil rights, MLK tries to have readers push past their previous inferences and judgements of his actions. He accomplishes this as a writer mainly through the use of pathos and logos. By doing this, MLK hopes to directly connect to all types readers. In Gladwell's writing, he takes a different approach through expert testimony in order to attempt to connect to his readers. Although Gladwell does use other types of rhetoric devices, he mainly uses logos in his piece. Gladwell uses facts, historical evidence, and information from outside sources to support his writing. Gladwell's use of logos is the best way for him to strengthen his point as a writer, due to his lack of personal connection to the topic. Both writer's usage of expert testimony strengthens their arguments, but in different ways. ]]> 2016-09-15 01:43:30 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123947393 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123949710 Both Gladwell and King use similar rhetoric in their writing, one of those being the use of rhetorical questions. Though throughout Gladwell's writing, he doesn't outright ask his readers to ponder on what he has said, his words are still thought provoking, allowing his audience to truly understand what he is trying to ask his readers of, and how they, personally see the situation. Dr. King uses ethos, logos, and pathos, also known as the evil three in any argumentative piece. When used correctly, they can transform an argument into so much more besides just fact. Dr. King also uses description to pull his readers closer to the subject in order to fully understand his point, and look at the world through his eyes. Gladwell, though using detailed language, does not paint a picture for the reader, for it is not needed. Malcolm Gladwell's argument was based on ethos and logos. Pathos was something that wasn't needed in his argument. Both authors have an eloquent way of writing, not so much as to be the same voice, but enough that their points are given in a concise, thought out, and intelligent way. Dr. King's letter moves people, it transforms the world around them as he writes, while Gladwell's argument is about revealing truth in the myth, picking out the lies in the sources and telling his audience why it is false and how it is so. ]]> 2016-09-15 02:04:36 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123949710 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123951937 The tones of each piece are similar and different at the same time. One is informative, yet understanding where the other is more informative only ]]> 2016-09-15 02:28:15 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123951937 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123952015 Malcolm Gladwell's description of Martin Luther King Jr.'s position in the N.A.A.C.P. is accurate to what he stated in Letter From Birmingham. The tightness of the group is somewhat described in both pieces but more focused on by Gladwell's. Martin Luther King Jr.'s piece gravitates more towards how the protesters were always there when he needed them as he is focusing more on the emotional connection of the group. Gladwell, however, focuses more on the way that the group was well-organized and worked with the idea of a "military campaign" rather than their emotional connection.]]> 2016-09-15 02:28:52 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123952015 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123955613 In my opinion, "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and "Small Change" convey very different tones in regards to the authors' perspectives. Martin Luther King Jr., in his piece, effectively communicates a passionate and philosophical tone. In comparison to Malcolm Gladwell, King Jr. uses a lot of the rhetorical device "pathos" in order to evoke an emotional response within the audience. He included various examples of African American mistreatment and strong, connotative diction. His letter feels extremely personal, allowing the reader to connect with King Jr. and feel sympathy for his, as well as the African American community's, situation. On the other hand, I interpreted Gladwell's tone as informative and only slightly critical. Gladwell supports his argument through the use of "logos." He includes various examples of high-risk activism, in contrast to weak-tie networks, and explained his train of thought thoroughly. Although Gladwell's argument was clear, his reliance on logos didn't benefit the persuasiveness of his opinions. The pieces are similar in regards to their application of rhetorical questions; both authors ask the reader many questions that their writing has answered. This gives the impression that the authors are clear in what they are trying to portray and the reader can easily find the answers to these questions. I believe that Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is much easier to engage with because it calls for change. The letter clearly offers solutions to the problems presented and describes what King Jr. wishes to happen. On the other hand, Malcolm Gladwell only explains the difference between high-risk activism of the past and "activism" of today. He never mentions how society should adapt to social media, or whether it's truly dangerous to people's motivational attitudes.

]]> 2016-09-15 03:06:02 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123955613 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123957427 The tones of the "Letter From Birmingham" and "Small Change" are similar in the aspect of their seriousness, but Martin Luther King Jr. holds a very emotional tone throughout the whole letter, hitting his main points head on, while Gladwell uses lots logical appeal, as his work is scattered with examples, events, and an overwhelming amount of logos. With MLK's letter you can hear all the emotions in his words, his questions bring about ethos and pathos. His work is easy to follow and he takes you straight to the points he is trying to convey. With Gladwell's voice I feel it is monotone, lacking any emotion, with the amount of stories and information he adds in. He focuses too much on backing up his views with evidence, than actually getting to the point. The amount of information in Gladwell's work makes it somewhat overwhelming and boring, while with Martin Luther King Jr's letter everything is relevant and you are already focuses in on his points and wha he is trying to get to the audience, making it easier to follow. He uses a lot more rhetoric in his letter, compared to Gladwell.]]> 2016-09-15 03:22:40 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123957427 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123957806 In "Small Change" by Malcolm Gladwell, the civil rights movement of the 1960's are described as centralized organization, where Martin Luther King Jr. is the unquestioned authority. This relates to King's descriptions of the events at Birmingham. King's tone is similar to someone in a leadership position, by utilizing phrases such as "my affiliates" and calling those who help him his "staff". He chooses these words in order to establish his authority. Another example is when King talks about how they scheduled their protest for certain times of year. This again, shows King's leadership, as he and his co-planners choose times for immensely large groups of people to meet. Malcolm Gladwell's assumption that Martin Luther King Jr. was the leader of this movement is an accurate description of his role.]]> 2016-09-15 03:26:44 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123957806 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123958055 The tone difference between the two pieces had very subtle differences. In the first one, "Letters from Birmingham Jail", Martin Luther King Jr. used a tone that contrasted the one in "Small Change". The tone in LFBJ was a passionate tone that implored the reader to go and learn from the lessons acquired while spending time within the jail, while the Small Change took the approach of a more telling the situation as it is and what needed to be done. The tone was not demanding the reader to do exactly what it called fro, but pushed the reader to do so utilizing logos to do so, while the LFBJ utilized pathos at the end to do the same style of motivating the reader.]]> 2016-09-15 03:29:29 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123958055 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123958809 In Gladwell's article, he describes a much more militarized aspect of the civil rights movement than King's letter depicted. While both aided to the fact that events such as sit-ins were pre-planned events, King describes them as a last resort necessary action, while Gladwell describes them as a more sought after activist protest. As King described, "Negro leaders sought to negotiate... But the political leaders refused to negotiate in good-faith negotiation." Though there are these stark differences in the way these direct actions were described, neither man is wrong in the way they defined them. This is because each man sought to convey a certain opinion that differed from the other. Gladwell's mentioning of 1960's civil rights actions being like a "military campaign" were there to stress to readers that modern social media activism is not as powerful as the activism in the past. King describes these actions differently because he is trying to convey that these actions are nonviolent and peaceful, so describing them as something of a "military campaign" is out of the question. ]]> 2016-09-15 03:41:36 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123958809 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123960524 Gladwell’s description of the civil rights movement as a “military campaign” aligns itself very well with some of the elements of logos used in “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In the opening section of the letter, King describes the structure of civil rights organizations he works with: “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state…We have some eighty-five affiliate organizations…whenever necessary and possible, we share staff, educational, and financial resources with our affiliates.” This description matches very closely to that given by Gladwell. It clearly displays the carefully planned actions and collaboration of civil rights activists; demonstrations were rarely, if ever, purely spontaneous. The reason for their success was their careful timing and control. King also very clearly indicates that there are chosen leaders, indicating the hierarchy necessary for making decisions as described by Gladwell.

]]> 2016-09-15 04:12:42 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123960524 https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123960561 Malcolm Gladwells style and format of writing differs greatly from that of Martin Luther King Junior's. However, both share the same ideas through their preferred methods. The tone of Martin Luther King's "Letter To Birmingham" comes across as very composed and authoritative through many uses of parallelism, syntax and other rhetorical devices to convey the message to Birmingham that the struggles blacks face with racial prejudice in the south and the severe measures it has gone to shall exist no longer if our nation wants to achieve change and evolution from evil. On the flip side, Malcolm Gladwell's tone in his article on social media in comparison to our nation's history is very metaphorical and modern because of how he compares the Greensboro sit-in protests to social media movements regarding worldly issues. Malcolm's conveys a message that is more relatable to our society nowadays because of the  idea of taking something from history and combining it with a modern day trend such as social media. Both share the same idea of taking action to find clarity for the sake of the people and the future.]]> 2016-09-15 04:13:26 UTC https://padlet.com/rnelson5/tb6ghgnwxw5t/wish/123960561