In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King explains the purpose and effectiveness ofnonviolent direct actions through the concept of negotiations.For example, Kingmentions “direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that acommunity which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.”King believes that tension is a good thing and that it is what is needed for direct actionto take place. Nonviolent can get one’s point across with hopefully less repercussions. Inaddition, King pulls an example from Socrates to strengthen his argument about whynonviolent direct action is the most effective way to handle things. For example, Kingwrites “Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realmof creative analysis and objective appraisal, so we must see the need for nonviolentgadflies to create the kind tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depthsof prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.”Once again, it is thought that tension is a good thing when it comes to a controversialissue. Without tension, there can be no discussion, and without discussion, there can beno progress.
This excerpt adds foreshadowing to the rest of the passage, adding extra suspense and making the reader excited to read on to answer the rhetorical question the narrator asks on Giselle’s behalf.
