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Rhetorical Analysis Of Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

490 Words2 Pages

Preston Geerinck
Per. 1
4/25/17
Mrs. Granahan-Smith

Speech Analysis Atticus Finch of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird tackled the task of defending the case of Tom Robinson who was accused of raping Mayella Ewell. For the closing statement of Atticus was moving speech that could not determine the fate of Tom Robinson’s verdict. Atticus used artistic proofs, anaphora, and multiple other persuasive tools to connect with his audience and to prove to the jury that Tom Robinson was innocent. Even with the substantial evidence against the Ewell’s testimony the prejudice and racism that was being shown to the black community in Maycomb overcame the truth. In Atticus’s closing statement he attempted to create people of all races equal in the court …show more content…

The people knew he wanted to get to the truth and justice of all the cases he represented at. This helped him persuade the people of Maycomb since he had lots of credibility among the people of Maycomb. What also increased his credibility was the amount of reading he did. He was a very smart man compared to many other white people who had little to no education. When Atticus gave his speech he took into account what he had to say and in what circumstances. He was in a courtroom with a bunch of un educated racist white men and women who wanted to see a black man be put to death for the false accusation of a black man raping a white woman. This was how he appealed the ‘ethos’ appeal of the people of Maycomb. Atticus thereafter attacked the ‘logos’ appeal when he called on large facts of the case. For example he brings up the left-handed injuries of Mayella when Tom was right handed. Atticus then used the third proof, ‘pathos’. Pathos is the artistic proof that chases after the empathetic feeling of a person. Atticus used this when he vividly described Mayella brutally beaten and raped on the floor of her own house. He then also called for pity on Tom Robison in the courtroom since Atticus believed and preached that Tom was wrongfully accused on the account of

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