To Kill A Mockingbird Rhetorical Analysis Essay
Rhetorical Analysis of Atticus's Closing Argument
¨This case is not a difficult one¨, states Atticus Finch. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, we see through the eyes of 6 year-old Scout, the theme of prejudice. One way we see this is through Tom Robinson, a black man who was accused of rape by the town's filthiest and most dishonest family: Mayella and her father Bob Ewell. Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer, was appointed by the court to defend Tom in the case. Throughout Atticus’s closing argument he uses the rhetorical devices Ethos, Logos, and Pathos to convince the jury that Tom is innocent.
Atticus is a well respected man in Maycomb and understands who his audience is. This is important because by knowing this he was able to reveal the community’s beliefs about black and white relationships, which was one way he used ethos. It is obvious that Mayella was ashamed of having had emotions for Tom, and even more ashamed of what she did because of them. “What did she do? She tempted a Negro”. Atticus Finch asked this, and by the negative connotation in this quote, one can infer how a white person having a relationship with a black person was looked down upon, during the era. Another example of when Atticus uses ethos is when he addresses these beliefs and prejudices the southern people in his town hold about black people. He addressed these directly in his speech. ¨you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption-the evil assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all …show more content…
Although Tom was ultimately found guilty, the persuasion techniques that Atticus use, make his speech more convincing. I quoted from Atticus Finch, in the beginning ¨This case is not a difficult one¨. After analyzing Atticus's speech one can see the many reasons Tom is innocent. This case was not a difficult one, but it was one affected by racism and
¨This case is not a difficult one¨, states Atticus Finch. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, we see through the eyes of 6 year-old Scout, the theme of prejudice. One way we see this is through Tom Robinson, a black man who was accused of rape by the town's filthiest and most dishonest family: Mayella and her father Bob Ewell. Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer, was appointed by the court to defend Tom in the case. Throughout Atticus’s closing argument he uses the rhetorical devices Ethos, Logos, and Pathos to convince the jury that Tom is innocent.
Atticus is a well respected man in Maycomb and understands who his audience is. This is important because by knowing this he was able to reveal the community’s beliefs about black and white relationships, which was one way he used ethos. It is obvious that Mayella was ashamed of having had emotions for Tom, and even more ashamed of what she did because of them. “What did she do? She tempted a Negro”. Atticus Finch asked this, and by the negative connotation in this quote, one can infer how a white person having a relationship with a black person was looked down upon, during the era. Another example of when Atticus uses ethos is when he addresses these beliefs and prejudices the southern people in his town hold about black people. He addressed these directly in his speech. ¨you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption-the evil assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all …show more content…
Although Tom was ultimately found guilty, the persuasion techniques that Atticus use, make his speech more convincing. I quoted from Atticus Finch, in the beginning ¨This case is not a difficult one¨. After analyzing Atticus's speech one can see the many reasons Tom is innocent. This case was not a difficult one, but it was one affected by racism and