Atticus Finch Ethos Pathos Logos

Throughout the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee , Atticus , Tom’s lawyer is trying to convince the audience (the jury) that Tom Robinson didn’t take advantage of Mayella. Atticus uses pathos and logos to appeal to the jury that Tom is not guilty. In the trial of Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell, Tom was accused of “taking advantage” of Mayella. Tom’s lawyer ,Atticus Finch uses a more logical appeal to convince the jury that Tom is innocent.

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, written by Harper Lee, Atticus is making his closing remarks, his final words, in Tom Robinson’s case trying to prove to the most likely racist jury that Tom is innocent. Atticus appeals to pathos, logos, and ethos in order to prove that Tom Robinson is innocent by showing that he cannot use her left hand, and overall that Mayella attacked Tom, and Tom is telling the truth.

He continues to point out “it requires no minute of sifting of complicated facts”, this leads the jury to realize there is no hard evidence to back up the charges against Tom Robinson. This all leads up to Atticus dropping the final remark of, “it does require you to be sure beyond all reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant.” This sentence will stick in the jury’s mind because they already now subconsciously believe they are overthinking the case, but now they might rethink their original choice on whether or not to convict Tom Robinson. Atticus later continues to point out, “ The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence.” This shows there is no evidence to prove that Tom is guilty.

Atticus Finch used a variety of argumentative techniques in his closing argument in the trial of Tom Robinson. These argumentative techniques include ethos, pathos, logos, anaphora, and rhetorical question. Atticus used these forms of writing to his advantage, and used them to the best of his ability. However, it was quite difficult to make an effective argument for his client, Tom Robinson, who was on trial for allegedly raping Mayella Ewell, a white female. Despite the fact his defense opened the eyes of some jury members, Tom was eventually found guilty and received a death sentence.

Atticus Finch is a white lawyer who defends African Americans. His last name “Finch” symbolizes a bird which stands for innocence. One day, Atticus is asked to defend a black man, named Tom Robinson. Atticus tries very hard to prove that Tom is innocent. The entire town, turns against him because he takes the side of a black man. After the trial, Bob Ewell, the plaintiff, yells at Atticus in the street. The narrator explains, “... Mr. Ewell approached him, cussed at him, spit in his face and threatened to kill him” (291). This quote shows that Bob Ewell is racist and hates Atticus because Atticus defends a black man. Atticus did not deserve to be treated that way. Atticus is a mockingbird he did the right thing and he was attacked for it. Atticus is a

The next quote takes place during the trial and is from Tom Robinson. He is being questioned by the opposing attorney about Mayella: “Yes suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of em-“. The meaning of this quote is a simple thing. A man in Tom’s position, a black man in Montgomery and all that entails and on trial for his life for a crime he didn’t commit felt compassion for a white woman. Tom is a good and decent man in a world that is not very good or decent. I think this quote supports the topic sentence because Ton acted on compassion he put himself in Mayella’s shoes and tried to help. It is important to the book because it shows another instance of acting on principle. This quote is important in life because if you do not have principles grounded in compassion you are empty on the inside. In association with the last quote. This quote is spoken by Atticus in a summary of Robinson trial: “This case is as simple as black and white”. This quote means the color of your skin decides your fate. This quote relates to the topic sentence because it is the topic sentence in a simple form or put yourself in the black defendant’s place. The quote is important to the book because it is an example of the ridiculousness of racism. It is ridiculous because nothing Atticus could say would change the jury’s pre-decided verdict. In real life “The case is as simple as black and white” is in

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.

In to Kill a Mockingbird Tom Robinson a black man is accused of raping Mayella Ewell who is a white woman. Atticus Finch uses ethos, pathos and logos in his speech to persuade the jurors that Tom Robinson is innocent from raping Mayella by using his identity as a believer of a god, reminding the jury of their duty, and inquiring the facts presented to him in this court case. Atticus first uses ethos in his speech when he tries to relate with the rest of the jurors by proclaiming he believes in a deity: "In the name of God, gentlemen, believe Tom Robinson. " By identifying himself as a believer of god, he is trying to convince the jurors he is one of them because most of the jurors believe in a deity.

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

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

In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch includes many examples of ethos, pathos, and logos in his closing argument. It is most likely that the best device that would be used to sway the jury would be logos. Because the facts in the Ewell’s testimony do not add up in accordance to the testimony of Tom Robinson, using more reasonable evidence would be more persuading to the jury. Although logos is a very crucial part of this trial, the devices ethos and pathos are also important.

Atticus is appointed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. She is a member of the Ewell family, who is looked down upon by Maycomb society and referred to as "white trash." Atticus knows that Tom has almost no chance because he is black and will be tried by an all white jury. Nevertheless, he wants to help him reveal the truth.

In a stuffy courtroom during the summer of 1935 located in a simple Southern town, a lawyer stands ready to defend his client. However, in this trial the lawyer, Atticus, has a rough road ahead of him since he must defend a black man; in front of a white jury. Plus, he must break down the jury’s mindset established in the pre-Civil War ideas. He does not hesitate for a second but delivers a profound and moving speech which sears itself into the audience’s brains. Regrettably, this speech does not exist in history books, but instead in the fictional story, To Kill A Mockingbird. Despite its fictional roots, this speech earned its place on the chart containing many other well-known speeches. Yet, what made this speech noteworthy and proved Atticus’ skill in debating? To answer one could say his attempt to prove the innocence of a man stemmed from his adept use of pathos, ethos, and logos.

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.