Examples Of Atticus Closing Argument

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.

I value this next quote because I believe a lot of what Atticus is saying still applies today. Not just white men cheating black men but white people in general cheat colored people everyday simply for being white. “As you grow older, you 'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don 't you forget it - whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, he is trash.” For example in today’s society we have wage gaps, people get paid based on what their race is even if they share the same job and do the same work. Even though today we like to deny racism exists, it does we just chose to ignore it.

Two forms of argumentative techniques are used most effectively within Atticus’ closing argument in the Tom Robinson trial. One technique used most effectively is anaphora. Atticus states, “...- that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negroes are not to be trusted around our women… You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women-black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire.” This quote uses anaphora whilst using terms repeatedly, such as “some Negro men” and “who has never.” This use of repetition stresses the fact that although white folk

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.

Undoubtedly, one of the most controversial subjects in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, would be whether or not Atticus Finch should have defended Tom Robinson. However, in order to understand this controversy, a person must first be able to understand Atticus Finch himself. Atticus as a character is a very intellectual person who possesses the fortitude to stand up for whatever he believes is right and will not let other people’s choices affect his own. Furthermore, it is also important to understand that Atticus is not a racist, nor does he approve of the idea that one group of people are better than another based on their appearances in general, and because of this, a person can generalize that Atticus’s characteristic traits are why he did not complain when given the task of defending a black man, Tom Robinson, who had been wrongfully accused of raping a white woman. A man that he, as well as a small group of other people from town, viewed as the picture of innocence. In their eyes, Tom was no more than a mockingbird, “[and mockingbirds] don’t do one thing but make music for [people] to enjoy” (Lee 119). Knowing this, anyone with a reasonably strong sense of what is right and what is wrong can conclude that it does make sense for Atticus Finch to have taken the case due to his belief that it is a sin to kill the innocent as well as his courage that allows him to stay true to his ideas, even though when taking the case, he was inevitably going to be putting his

The purpose of this statement is to show the jury that in court, everyone is equal. This could poteniálly sway the jury because they are forced to look beyond race. Without a doubt, Atticus shows the jury that the court is only as fair as the people sitting in it. "I 'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system—that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality. Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury. A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up.” Atticus tells the jury this to persuade them to be their best selves and really consider everything going on beside the race in play. A reader could infer that Atticus is using ethos to persuade the jury to really listen and trust him. In conclusion, Atticus’ use of ethos played a very important role in his closing argument. It was extremely useful to show the jury and the rest of the court that they need to trust his credibility in order to make the right decision.

For him, like many other real-life Negroes in American history, the principles underpinning political, social and criminal justice failed. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus’ belief that, “in our courts all men are created equal,” ( p. 209) makes a complete mockery of the judicial system.

Closing Remarks In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch, the main character's father makes his closing remarks to the jury before they decide Tom Robinson's fate. In Atticus's summation speech he uses four literary devices in an attempt to make an effective speech to the jury which are diction, syntax, imagery, and irony. He combines those four literary elements in his speech to undertake the task of attempting to persuade the jury to put aside their prejudice toward Tom Robinson and justly give Tom robinson the verdict he deserves.

One of the most important elements of any lawsuit is the closing argument. The closing argument allows for the attorney to get their final point across, but it allows them to talk to the jury and let the lawsuit sink in. In “To Kill A Mockingbird”, Atticus Finch’s closing argument has multiple elements that allow him to get his point across. Some of these elements used symbolisms and allusions. These aid Atticus in affecting his audience because he relates them to everyday life. For example, one of the uses of allusion is seen on page 271, where Atticus says, “This case is as simple as black and white”. This has an affect on the audience because the case essentially is black and white in a sense, and he is referring to the two people in

Furthermore, Atticus displayed integrity while defending Tom Robinson. Atticus made decisions based on his own conscience and not that of others. Lee writes, “Before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience. (105) Atticus is a man with morals, and therefore defends Tom Robinson in front of a racist jury to give him his right to a fair trial. Even though he knows he has a slim chance of winning the case, Atticus continues to do his best. Atticus asks the white jurors to consider the case on its merits and not take into consideration the race of the defendant, Tom Robinson. Atticus’s neighbor Miss Maudie, further describes his integrity by stating, “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets.” (46) Miss Maudie is saying that Atticus does not have anything to hide and does not try

“ As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men everyday of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t forget it whether a white man does that to a black man, no matter who [or what] he is … That white man is trash” (297). Atticus is saying that every man should respect and accepting of all men including the blacks. The truth of the matter is that man is a man and prejudice is never the answer but a choice of those who don’t want to try to understand but they pre-judge making a stereotype. Prejudice still exist but we need to bring awareness and extinguish it.

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

Atticus displays these characteristics of positive morals, dignity and fairness by defending rape accused Tom Robinson and trying to provide him with a credible defence against the wishes and social norms of the community, however Atticus Finch abided by the social norms of the community while livingin a racially segregated community, carrying on with his day to day life in such a community, while using “white only” parks and white only buses without directly challenging the racist legal system and Atticus Finch did not dispute the fact that Tom Robinson is tried before an all-white jury and that it was fairly reasonable to assume that they would convict him of rape as a predetermined outcome on the mere fact that he was a black man and she was a white

She didn't answer Atticus’s questions and then she turned on the jury (Lee 189-91). She called out the white men, calling them cowards if they did not find this man guilty. This shows corruption within the court system because of race. The jury is being told to decide on race and personal image, rather than on the facts of the case (Lee).