Atticus Finch Ethos In To Kill A Mockingbird

Words: 825

Pages: 4

Open Document

Atticus Finch makes a very important and thought provoking speech in ‘To Kill A Mockingbird.’ ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is about Atticus’s two children, Scout and Jem, facing new situations due to him defending Tom Robinson. The speech was his closing argument at Tom Robinson’s trial. Tom Robinson was being accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Atticus is a credible and respectable lawyer. The book took place in Maycomb,Alabama in the 1930s. The setting affected the story because at the time there was a lot of racism and stereotyping present. His speech emotionally touched the reader and was persuasive. His speech was very effective in the point of view of the reader because he used ethos, pathos, and logos. His audience was the jury and the people of Maycomb, Alabama. He wanted to prove Tom Robinson’s innocence. …show more content…
The basis of his credibility is that the people of Maycomb know how good of a lawyer he was. He had a good education background, which indicated that he was a knowledgeable man. A lot of people from the town are not well educated. Atticus added on to that credibility with his strong vocabulary. His vocabulary was very appropriate. His extensive vocabulary was used to prove even further how credible he is. He also extended his credibility and persuasiveness with repetition and parallel structure within his speech. The repetition used added emphasis to the pleading he was doing. He was truly trying to convince the jury that Tom Robinson did not do the crime. He states “guilt,” “negro,” and “she” several times. Parallel structure is also present and it too helped strengthen his argument. “Now what did she do”. “Now, gentlemen…” “Now I am confident…” Using the word ‘now’ several times, allowed him to bring new points to his

Does Atticus Finch Use Ethos Pathos Logos In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird Over 10,000 innocent people a year go to jail for such crimes that they did not commit. In the story “To Kill a Mockingbird” a young black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping and beating a young white lady, Miss Ewell. Even though there is enough evidence to show that Tom did not commit such crimes, the jury still comes to the decision that he is guilty. The jury came to this conclusion just because he was a black male coming onto a white lady; in the 1930’s people…

Words 596 - Pages 3

Examples Of Ethos In To Kill A Mockingbird

strategies ethos, pathos, and logos, are present numerous times throughout Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill A Mockingbird”. These rhetorical strategies create a connection between the reader and the novel, which subsequently allows Lee to persuade the reader. Throughout the novel, Lee attempts to teach the reader about equality, and the rhetorical strategies Lee uses aid in the authentication of her ideas. Harper Lee’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos throughout the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” assist…

Words 594 - Pages 3

To Kill A Mockingbird Rhetorical Analysis

accused of sexual assault by the Ewells, there were several given examples of rhetorical appeals. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there was an incident that led Atticus Finch, the defender, and Mr. Gilmer, the prosecutor, use rhetorical appeals -ethos, pathos, and logos- to persuade the judge, the jury, and the audience that Tom Robison was not the assaulter of Mayella Ewell. While in trial, Atticus provided examples…

Words 461 - Pages 2

To Kill A Mocking Bird Analysis Essay

To kill a mockingbird is a story that tells us about the past. It shows us the way people were treated and how they grew up. At the same time, Harper Lee was able to use rhetorical devices and motifs to capture the audience and define the past. In to kill a mockingbird, Harper Lee uses pathos, ethos and motifs skillfully, and paints a detailed picture of growing up without prejudice in a small Southern town during the depression. In the book to kill a mockingbird, Harper Lee strongly…

Words 810 - Pages 4

How Does Atticus Use Ethos In To Kill A Mockingbird

as black and white.” (Atticus) In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus delivers a closing argument for the books. When innocent black man Tom Robinson is accused of rape, Mr. Atticus Finch steps up to defend him. The town of Maycomb was doubtful of Atticus’ power of persuasion, but that would not stop him from striking a match in his closing argument that would set ablaze the heads of many. In his closing argument, Atticus used the rhetorical devices-- ethos, logos, and pathos--…

Words 1196 - Pages 5

Tom Robinson Trial Analysis

In the story, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is defending Tom Robinson in court because he was accused of raping a white female. The main point, Atticus was trying to convey was that the jury needed to make their decision based on factual evidence and disregard the fact that Tom is black which was a way he was trying to convince his audience that race and skin tone should not come in the way of the reality of the situation. Lee makes some valid points in Atticus’s argument to…

Words 1113 - Pages 5