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 define democratic principles
C
to commemorate a famous leader
D
to decry the bondage of ancient Greece
Explanation
King compares nonviolent protesters to Socrates, who challenged people’s thinking and helped them question myths and half-truths. The allusion suggests that creating tension can prompt society to examine prejudice through reason and analysis. By referring to Socrates, King appeals to his critics’ intellect; he is not defining democracy or criticizing ancient Greece.
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