Mumia Abu-Jamal's Live From Death Row: Language and Tone

Introduction: Rhetoric in Controversial Writing

Throughout history, speech and language have influenced people's thoughts on some of the most controversial issues. Many elocutionists and writers were put to death shortly after—and sometimes before—their words were revealed. One recalls the convicting message of Martin Luther, delivered under the threat of death; Thomas More, delivered shortly before his execution; and Martin Luther King Jr., delivered before his untimely assassination. While the words of these speakers expressed deep conviction, syntax alone was not what proved to move audiences—whether in person or in writing. Instead, a combination of language, tone, and imagery worked together to shape and challenge perceptions and preconceived notions.

A more contemporary example of this can be seen in Mumia Abu-Jamal's death row memoir, Live From Death Row. Jamal—an African-American activist, radio host, and writer who was sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer in 1981—has caused Americans to reconsider their views on the death penalty, much as Troy Davis's more recently publicized case invoked further thought on the issue. An analysis of the language, tone, and imagery captured in the opening of Live From Death Row reveals how Jamal both shapes Americans' perceptions of prison life and death row inmates and challenges those same Americans' preconceived notions about the death penalty.

Language: Word Choice and Syntactic Synthesis

In Live From Death Row, Jamal's language is punctuated and deliberate. His word choice is meant not only to describe life on death row, but also to encourage readers to develop a negative association toward what is being described. Jamal uses this language both to shape Americans' perceptions of prison life and death row inmates and to challenge their views on the death penalty.

First, Jamal uses language to shape Americans' perceptions of inmates by portraying them more as innocent victims of a military camp than as hardened criminals resisting authority—which is how most people would expect to perceive them. Through his description of prisoners as "best behaved and least disruptive of all inmates," Jamal reduces the "massive, quasi-military organization" to a "dog pen." This accomplishes two goals. First, it allows the reader to understand how a rigidly regulated institution can be not only invasive but also humiliating. Second, it shapes the reader's understanding of death row prisoners, portraying them as compliant, quiet, and humiliated. By choosing to pair the words "inmates" and "dog" so closely together, Jamal forces a synthesis of the two images in the reader's mind—further shaping the American view of the death row prisoner and describing him or her as meek, like a caged puppy.

In addition, Jamal's use of language challenges preconceived notions about the death penalty. Two of the most common arguments in support of capital punishment are deterrence and the belief that death row inmates deserve their fate. Jamal's pairing of the phrase "human personality" with "double-edge razor wire" forces another syntactic synthesis—one that reminds the reader that the inmate is a human being treated like an animal. Thus, Jamal's use of language in Live From Death Row is powerful. His deliberate word choices force synthesis in readers' minds, shaping an image of death row inmates and challenging perceptions of the death penalty.

Tone: Scholarly Objectivity Over Advocacy

In addition to powerful language, Jamal's tone plays an especially important role in shaping and challenging perceptions of death row inmates and the death penalty. As an obvious activist against capital punishment, Jamal's most predictable tonal choice would have been an angry, impassioned call to action. Instead, Jamal writes with an objective, scholarly tone. He begins with what functions as a topic sentence and then expounds upon it throughout the piece in a regimented, academic style. The opening sentence could be read as a thesis, with the information that follows providing support. Signal phrases such as "as in," "for the most part," and "it is also true" allow the reader to recognize easily that the passage is written in a scholarly register.

In direct opposition to what one might expect, Jamal includes no call to action and no overtly biased viewpoint that would color the tone differently. Instead, he focuses his tone on the conditions inside the prison, signaling to readers that his purpose is to inform rather than to persuade. By adopting this scholarly tone, Jamal accomplishes several goals. First, he acknowledges the reader's intelligence and autonomy, implying that the reader will draw his or her own conclusions from the facts and does not need to be directed by persuasive language. Second, Jamal appeals to a wider audience than an impassioned advocacy piece would reach—drawing in academics, those with existing opinions on the subject, those seeking to learn more, and those simply interested in quality literature. Finally, this tonal choice includes rather than alienates the reader, creating an internal environment in which shaping and challenging perceptions becomes self-directed. Because Jamal allows readers to arrive at their own conclusions, that persuasion becomes the most convicting kind—the kind one brings upon oneself.

Conclusion: The Convicting Power of Rhetoric

Mumia Abu-Jamal's Live From Death Row joins the ranks of other convicting literature on controversial topics. Through a masterful use of language, tone, and imagery, Jamal both shapes his readers' opinions of death row prisoners and challenges their views on capital punishment. Together, these rhetorical strategies demonstrate that the most powerful advocacy is often that which trusts the reader to think for themselves.

Works Cited

Abu-Jamal, Mumia. "Live From Death Row."

"Mumia Abu-Jamal." Discover the Networks: A Guide to the Political Left. N.d. 27 November 2008. http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1330

"Troy Davis — Finality Over Fairness." Amnesty International. 2008. 27 November 2008. http://www.amnestyusa.org/death-penalty/troy-davis-finality-over-fairness/page.do?id=1011343