Closing Argument In Atticus Finch's To Kill A Mockingbird

Mr. Finch starts his argument by presenting the facts of the case, trying to logically prove Tom Robinson’s innocence; he does this through the rhetoric and the use of logos. He begins by presenting medical evidence that supports Tom Robinson’s case. Atticus verifies that Tom uses his right hand and that Mayella Ewell’s facial injuries strongly suggest a left-handed assailant. Through the cross-examination of the witnesses, Atticus shows that their jumbled stories bring up serious questions about the crime. To anyone in modern times the proof he presented would’ve won Mr. Robinson freedom, but despite Mr. Finch’s best efforts to supply logical evidence, the jury did not immediately believe Tom Robinson.

To do so, both lawyers needed to approach the courtroom with the correct tone of voice. Initially, both lawyers started out with a casual tone as if they were talking to a friend. As it gradually went on the attitude of both lawyers started to change. Atticus stayed relaxed, and preserving in order to appeal to the courtroom’s emotions. His voice was intriguing and really captured the audience, however towards the end his tone shifted pleading the jury to make the right decision. In “A Lesson before Dying” the lawyer’s tone of voice changes rather fast. He sounds as if he gave up convincing the jury of Jefferson’s innocents and is insulting him instead. An example of the lawyer’s mockery towards Jefferson is when he says, “Justice, gentleman? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this.” However, right before his insulting remark he does what Atticus had done, he pleaded to the jury to make the right decision. In essence, Atticus is the only one committed to changing the jury's mind, the other attorney is rather nasty, and even questions his own clients

There was no room at the public hitching rail for another animal, mules and wagons were parked under every available tree. The courthouse square was covered with picnic parties sitting on newspapers.” (Lee, 160). The Ewells, Negroes and the defendant, Tom, represent the lower classes, the trial made it clear that when a black man’s word is against a white, the white, no matter the social status, always wins. Atticus understands the fact that winning the trial is very slim to none and he explains that you just can’t give up “They’ve done it before and they’ll keep doing it again and when they do it-seems that only children weep.” (Lee, 213). Despite the man Tom is, the jury must accuse someone of the crime and choose the easiest man to blame, Tom Robinson.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus defends Tom Robinson in court, delivering one of the most famous fictional speeches in history.In his closing remarks he utilizes logos, hypophora and pathos.

Atticus Finch uses elements of literary style effectively in his closing remarks at Tom Robinson’s trial. Atticus utilizes diction, imagery, syntax, and irony to prove his point and to show off his authority and knowledge to the jury. Atticus does this because he knows Tom is innocent and wants to give him the best chance of being found innocent, even though he is already doomed.

Atticus Finch was involved in a very controversial case that arrived in Maycomb county. During this case, Atticus, a white man, was chosen to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was accused of raping and abusing a white female, Mayella Ewell. In the 1960s, southern life was divided between colored and non colored people. Atticus’ challenge was to convince the white jury and a white judge that Tom Robinson was shall not be pleaded guilty. This challenge was difficult to complete, hence why Atticus was unable to convince the jury even though he put up a good fight. Within that fight, he used different types of appeals that were able to persuade the jury in a variety of ways. Atticus used the appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos

In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, during chapters seventeen through twenty-one, one of the leading characters, Atticus, has to defend a black man in a court case against two white people. Before the jury is sent to make their decision, Atticus gives a closing argument speech. During his speech, Atticus uses three main types of persuasion called: ethos, pathos, and logos.

An educated man and a respected lawyer, Atticus Finch uses his words and intellect to advocate acceptance. He clearly discusses the importance of acceptance throughout daily life to his children as well as "the white jury" during the court case. Atticus uses his moral voice to stand up for a coloured man; Tom Robinson, although people such as Bob Ewell and the Cunninghams consistently oppose his decision in defending a "nigger". "There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing". By challenging the courtroom about seeing everyone is equal, he allows the jury as well as the audience to realise that the social placement nor the race of an individual does not determine their actions, but their nature as a human. In my visual representation I have used a class system triangle to separate the different classes. The size of each sector represent how much the certain social class is accepted. For example, the Finches as well respected therefore they hold abundance of space whereas the negroes are on the top with no space; portraying they are not as accepted in society. Throughout the novel Atticus attempts to persuade and teach the life altering lesson of acceptance towards the Maycomb society. That everyone is equal and their is no difference between their integrity and a negroes; which is opposed in my visual

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.

Gentlemen, I shall be brief; but I would like to my remaining time with you to remind you how Atticus Finch’s closing argument had a strong basis in logic, however what made him convincing was his pathetic points. Mr. Finch was well aware the jury wanted to convict Tom Robinson from the start. So Mr. Finch developed a plan to persuade the jury using Aristotle three models of rhetoric: Logos, pathos, and Ethos. Mr. Finch would repeatedly use Logos an appeal to logic to make it clear how all evidence pointed away from Mr. Robinson. Atticus understood how irrational the jury when it came to Negros. So he used pathos appeal, to develop a connection between Mr. Robinson and the jury. For this to work to work the connection needed to be stronger

Atticus taught Scout a very important lesson after hearing her depressing experience on her first day of school: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around it” (39). This book focus on how a person’s perspective determines the way they judge other people. Although Maycomb is a nice town, people in this town have the tendency to put a label on each other. Atticus lives by his principle to ignore the looks and view people by their true intention, he gives people respect first. This line impacted and influenced Scott, so much so that at the end of the story she is able to view others through a different lens. This line shows the theme of courage because

To conclude the novel, “to Kill A Mockingbird”. Despite being published decades ago, still portray various social injustices that occur in today's society. In the novel the black community is treated unfair, as if they are worthless and inhuman. This also happens in the u.s however, not only people of the black community are being target but people of other dark skin races are as wel. Some people cannot afford a lawyer and some aren't granted a fair trial and sometime will get no trial. This happens in the court scene involving tom robinson, even though he had evidence that proved his innocence he was still found guilty all because of his skin color. But the true injustice is the fact that there are laws that are supposed to prevent this unfair judgment in courts but

Atticus uses three rhetorical devices in his closing argument. First, Atticus uses the rhetorical device “simile” in his closing argument. Next, Atticus uses simile to show how simple this case is that tom robinson don't do it and that he's innocent. Atticus uses the simile by saying “ This case is as simple as black and white.”. This example connects to my main point because it states that the case is as simple as black and white emphasizing how the verdict should be made. Then, Atticus uses the rhetorical device Rhetorical question. The rhetorical device(rhetorical question) purpose is to emphasize a point and get the attences attention. Atticus says “Now what did she do?” to emphasize a point and get the audience's attention. The example

In To Kill a Mockingbird and 12 Angry Men, both men, Atticus and Mr. Davis, persuade the jury by logos to prove that the defendant is innocent. In Atticus’s closing argument, Atticus used logos in his evidence and facts that he provided during the trial to persuade the jury that Tom Robinson was innocent. Atticus started off his closing statement by stating the obvious, Tom Robinson has no use of his left hand and he could not have punch Mayella on her right side of her face. Tom Robinson has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell even though “the state has not produced one iota of medical evidence that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only

The purpose of a closing argument of a lawyer is to give a last chance to give a lasting effect on the juror's choice on whether or not the defendant is guilty. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, an attorney named Atticus is defending a black man named Tom Robinson. Tom is being held guilty for rape against a white woman named Mayella Ewell. Her father, Bob Ewell is accusing him of raping his daughter. The book takes place in Alabama in the 1930s and in the south, the majority of people were prejudice towards african americans, thus making this case difficult to win. Atticus uses some key points to support his statement in his closing argument. The jury was made up of white people and Atticus was trying to convince them that Tom was not