Jonathan Edwards spoke in favor of the Puritan beliefs during his speech titled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” on July 8, 1741. To a widespread audience of most everyone in the village, Edwards portrayed the Puritan’s belief by making it clear that God must be worshiped, for He is the only reason sinners have not already been sent to Hell. Likewise, Martin Luther King Jr. writes the “Letter From Birmingham Jail” to 8 clergymen fighting for the right to a nonviolent protest on civil rights. While delivering the letter on April 16th, 1963, King’s purpose was to inform the clergymen, who agreed upon the imprisonment, that the right to peaceful protest is well deserved. Both men deliver powerful pieces of literature to address a social issue in the respectful time period. In doing so, both Edwards and King display effective qualities of allusion and tone in order to force a strong message through to their audience.
In order to write effectively, the author must use precise techniques. …show more content…
In Edwards speech, the tone that stood out was wrathful. Edwards approaches the audience sternly by saying that “...natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it…”. Edwards’ overall hope was to inflict fear on the audience in order to force a response out of them. Not only does the author start in this manner, it is continued throughout the speech. Edwards continues to explain that “... it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being drunk with your blood.”. By using intimidating language, the author is able to quickly create a reaction in favor of becoming a member of the Puritan religion. As a whole, Edwards uses an ominous tone directed towards the audience to create an instant