To Kill A Mockingbird Rhetorical Analysis

935 Words4 Pages

In the argument between Mr.Gilmer and Atticus In to kill a mockingbird about Tom Robinson being found guilty for raping Mayella. There was impressive work of rhetorical analysis (Logos, Pathos, and Ethos). This argument takes place in a courthouse in Maycomb which if packed with the people of Maycomb. The argument between Atticus and Mr.Gilmer was about Tom Robinson to find out if he truly raped and abused Mayella. In the argument between them both used Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. Almost everyone throughout Maycomb thought Tom was guilty just because of the color of his skin. But, the real question was, did Tom Robinson really abuse and take advantage of Mayella Ewell? Throughout the argument Mr.Gilmer used both Pathos and Ethos extensively …show more content…

For example, Mr.Gilmer uses Pathos when making Mayella explain what happened on the supposed day Tom abused and took advantage of her, the reasoning is that in the book it says “Mayella stared at him and burst into tears. She cover her mouth with her hands and sobbed.”lee241 When this scene happened Mr.Gilmer was questioning Mayella. This showed a negative holistically in the argument; Pathos was strengthened because of the reason it appealed the audience emotion making them feel bad for her, this helped the argument because the audience felt emotion when Mayella was crying this might cause an unbiased audience to feel and think that Tom could possibly be guilty. Also, Mr.Gilmer used Ethos appealing to the audiences good morals for this reason …show more content…

His claim was that Tom was innocent and could never take advantage and abuse Mayella Ewell. The first reason was that Tom could not do it because Tom is right handed and crippled in his left because he got it caught in a cotton gin when he was a young boy. This shows that Tom could do it because in To kill a mockingbird it says, “It would tend to show that a left handed person did it.”Lee 238 Logos was strengthen which was appealing to the audience common sense. Bob Ewell says in the book “I can use one hand good as the other.”Lee 238 this is saying that he could be left handed and could be the one the abused Mayella. This might cause the unbiased audience to feel and think that Bob could have done it. Another reason is that Bob did not call the doctor when he found Mayella the evidence is that in the book it says “It wouldn’t dress any, Mr. Finch. She was night banged up. Sometimes shoe happened, it was obvious.”Lee 224 This enhances the Ethos used in the argument because it applies to the ethics of the audience that you would have to get medical attention. This shows that they didn 't call a doctor, to try and cover up that Bob was the one who was abusing Mayella not Tom. Bob was beating her when he saw her kissing Tom. This can cause an unbiased audience feel again think that Bob did it to Mayella and that Mayella could be the one who was trying to take advantage of Tom.

Open Document