Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Disobedience — Quiz
Question 34 • English Language Arts 11
Read the excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” 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 realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice. Why does King use this allusion?
Answer
A
to appeal to his critics’ intellect
B
to commemorate a famous leader
C
to define democratic principles
D
to decry the bondage of ancient Greece
Explanation
King compares his use of nonviolent protest to Socrates’ use of questions to unsettle people’s assumptions. The allusion presents that tension as a way to move people toward clear, objective thought, appealing to his critics’ intellect. He is not commemorating Socrates or criticizing ancient Greece.
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