To Kill A Mockingbird Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Words: 438
Pages: 2
Open Document
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the author, Harper Lee, chooses to use rhetorical appeals to gain empathy from the reader. In the beginning of the novel, Atticus Finch takes on a controversial case in which he defends an African-American man against rape charges. Atticus explains to his brother, “‘But do you think I could face my children otherwise? You know what’s going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease.’” (Lee 88) In this quote, Atticus tells Jack that he hopes that his children will be able to avoid becoming discriminatory against other races after hearing the racist ideas that many people share in Maycomb. This connects back to …show more content…
Atticus states, “‘If anything, she’s been harder on them in some ways than a mother would have been . . . she’s never let them get away with anything, she’s never indulged them the way most colored nurses do. She tried to bring them up according to her lights.’” (Lee 137) Atticus’s comment reveals that Calpurnia has been a mother figure to the Finch children and has tried to teach them her own morals while helping raise them as best as she could. The author appeals to the reader by explaining Calpurnia’s credibility and showing that she has been vital to helping the household function. This evokes empathy readers because they can relate to the feeling that a parent or guardian is too strict, but understand that in the end parents just want what is best for them. These quotes support the argument that using rhetorical appeals is the best way to create empathy in the audience because they help readers to empathize with the topics and themes in the novel such as acceptance or working for equality and inspire them to use these lessons in their own
Show More

Related Documents: To Kill A Mockingbird Rhetorical Analysis Essay

To Kill A Mocking Bird Analysis Essay

Literary 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…

Words 810 - Pages 4

Silent Spring - Rachel Carson Essay

BookRags, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The following sections of this BookRags Premium Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources. ©1998-2002;…

Words 30115 - Pages 121