Atticus Finch Ethos In To Kill A Mockingbird

h. He feels Atticus made him look bad in front of the entire town. This threat was meant to get a reaction from Atticus; however, Atticus just kept his head up.

He automatically possessed ethos since he was already a well respected lawyer in the town, but he still provided other instances in his speech. Not only that, but Atticus’s examples of pathos developed guilt for Mayella, and appealed to the audience’s religious sense. Similarly, his application of logos through facts made the efficiency of pathos easier, since it caused the audience much doubt. Although Mr. Finch’s argument was unable to overpower the jury’s racial prejudice, he had a sense of duty to acknowledge Tom Robinson as an equal in the court, even when he knew defending Tom would be

Maycomb… a small town, but with a huge amount of different perspectives. Depending on their perspective, their view on the world around them can either be favourable or atrocious. Harper Lee shows perspective through the characters in her novel: To Kill A Mockingbird, she shows different perspectives through the lives of the citizens of Maycomb County, one of whom being Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch is the down-to-earth, well-mannered father of Jeremy ”Jem” Finch and Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. He shows us a level-headed perspective on his surroundings, therefore making him the symbol for morality and reason in this story.

Atticus also develops a specific tone in his closing argument. This affects the audience because his tone affects the mood of a jury. Atticus’ tone is very serious and straightforward. This tone shows the jury that he knows what really happened, and the jury should too, because the evidence is so obvious. However, throughout his argument, his mood shifts. Primarily there is a tense and serious tone, but in the beginning and the end there is a tone that is more reasonable and cooperative, versus Atticus stating facts and standing his ground. “Gentlemen,” he was saying, “I shall be brief, but I would like to use my remaining time to remind you that this case is not a difficult one”. This is Atticus’ tone during the beginning and end because it sort of caps off his

Alternatively, pathos is another literary device that can also appeal to the jury because it will bring out the more emotional part of the trail and cause people to empathize with Tom Robinson. For example, Atticus starts to bring up African American stereotypes. “And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to ‘feel sorry’ for a white woman has had to put his word against two white people. I

Atticus Finch is widely regarded as one of the most influential characters in modern literature. His pivotal role in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee exemplifies this influence and demonstrates his positive effect on his children, Jem and Scout. Throughout the novel, Atticus leads by example and provides lessons and teachings for his children to follow. His wisdom proves to be an instrumental part in the maturation and development of his children, and helps them to grow, learn, and adapt to the changing world around them. Atticus Finch teaches his children important lessons by forcing Jem read to Mrs. Dubose, remaining pacifistic, and defending Tom Robinson; therefore, he is a beneficial father and role model for his children.

A third characteristic of Atticus is his daring personality. The very thought of defending a black man’s case was socially unacceptable during the 1940s, much less encouraged for a lawyer. However, Atticus is bold enough to do what is right and take the chance. He very well knows from the start that the jury’s prejudice would outweigh the evidence in the end, but he decides to risk it. Another example of his daring character is Atticus’s parenting style. He does the best that he can as a sole parent for Jem and Scout, despite the frowns of social disapproval that his methods bring. Even Atticus’s sister, Alexandra, criticizes him because he does not use a firm hand with them. A third example of his daring personality is when he shoots the mad dog. Atticus even says, “I haven’t shot a gun in thirty years” (Lee 127) but still takes a risk in order to

Atticus Finch possesses the virtues of a mockingbird in the book To Kill A Mockingbird. For example, after a rabid dog wandered into town “One-shot Finch” (Atticus) cautiously “brought the gun to his shoulder” and took away the threat. One of the key traits of a mockingbird was that they do no harm. Atticus didn’t believe in hunting because he had an unfair advantage over the animals. While Atticus did in fact do harm to the dog, it could’ve infected and killed the entire town with it’s disease if Atticus hadn’t acted. This is only one example of Atticus, similarity to a mockingbird preventing harm. Similarly, when Atticus took Tom Robinson’s case, a mob came to his jailhouse at night to attack or kill Tom. They were prepared to destroy anything

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird tells of a town in Alabama, called Maycomb. In this deeply-rooted racist town, there is a trial against an African American man, accused of raping a white woman. One man, however, Atticus Finch, has the opportunity to help the the man on trial. Although he knows he will lose the trial, he takes the case anyway. Atticus is respected in Maycomb, and known for his wisdom and experience. He is a good-hearted, egalitarian man who is always there and willing to provide guidance to his children and to the town of Maycomb, with his years of practice and experience.

In Atticus’ argument he also uses pathos. One example of when he uses pathos is when he states “I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness

Throughout his speech, Atticus introduced the concept of pathos where he sought to arouse the emotional side of the jury. His first evidence of pathos came when he expressed his pity for Mayella Ewell, the young woman for whom the trial took place. He addressed her hopeless condition when he called her the “victim of cruel poverty and ignorance” and defended her case in the situation. Mayella had led a cruel life with virtually no love so she had sought love from a defenseless black man, Tom Robinson. Afterwards, he approaches the basis of the US government with the statement that “all men are created equal.” This statement laid the foundations for the American government and spurred on the American rebels to build a new nation. However, Americans soon forgot this statement and Atticus beseeched the jury to remember their beliefs in freedom. To conclude he made a final emotional appeal to the jury and requested the jury to their duty, both to God and themselves.

I am reading the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This book is about a girl named Scout Finch who lives with her brother, Jem, and her father, Atticus, during the Great Depression. They live in a small town called Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is a town where everybody knows everybody. There is currently a trial taking place; Mayella vs. Tom Robinson. Tom has been accused of rapeing Mayella. Tom has pleaded not guilty for the crime he has been accused of. In this journal I will be evaluating Tom’s character and questioning why the Ewells may be lying.

Along with logos, pathos is also frequently used throughout Atticus’ closing argument. In the text, Atticus states, “And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to ‘feel sorry’ for a white woman has had to put his word against two white people’s.” By saying this, Atticus is building up Tom’s likability, and is trying to conduct some sort of pity toward Tom from the jury members. Although some argumentative techniques are used in this speech more than others, they are not necessarily the most effective.

Imagine a place where the verdict of a rape trial stems from racial prejudice rather than the proper evaluation of proven evidence. This is Maycomb, Alabama, the strange, Southern town where Scout and Jem Finch grow up during the 1930s in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. In short, the novel travels a thin line between a light-hearted narrative of the siblings’ childhood with their single father, a defense attorney named Atticus Finch, and the injustices that arise within their close-knit community. The complexities include extreme racism, a peculiar social hierarchy, and general misunderstandings of certain people within the small town. These are all seen as “Maycomb ways”, almost as if they are considered facts. Through her writing, Lee conveys an important message that an essential part of a child’s education often takes place in a home or community rather than a classroom by utilizing the characters, Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson, a black man accused of rape whom Atticus is defending.

Atticus uses a combination of convincing and logical evidence, but is also very passionate as he is not doing this as a “lip” service. He was doing this, as he could not live with himself if he did not do his best to defend Tom Robinson despite the chances of winning the court case. The use of emotive language and well-reasoned arguments makes the case more persuasive and plausible. Atticus is rather astute in showing compassion for Mayella, this shows honesty and integrity in his character therefore the jury is more inclined to believe him over the witnesses. Atticus makes a direct plea to the jury but he does this on a personal level. Atticus pauses to create more impact as it is dramatically effective as it focuses our attention to the truth. Atticus throws the burden of blame on Mayella making her culpable of the crime that happened and not his client. He uses repetition to emphasise his case and evidence. Atticus’s tone becomes increasing aggressive and uncompromising however, he remains courteous and dignified throughout. Atticus highlights to the jury the sheer arrogance of the witnesses of the state who believed their word would not be questioned over a black man. Atticus shouted “TEMERITY” as he had become so frustrated. This is the only point in the speech where