How Does Atticus Use Ethos In To Kill A Mockingbird

Due to the fact he is a modern hero, all modern heroes should exhibit this. Another time Atticus demonstrates this is when the trial in which he is defending a black man is drawing to a close. When Atticus is pleading to the jury he makes this statement regarding fairness, “I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of [G-d], do your duty” (275). This seems like standard closing remarks but in this context, it means to judge the case without the racism one would expect from an all-white jury.

A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up. I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty." This quote is an example of how Atticus was pleading to the jury to make the right choice. He wanted justice to happen even if he was the only man in the whole town to stand up for an African American, Tom Robinson.

Johnnie Cochran's closing argument during the O.J Simpson uses all three rhetorical appeals to try and convince the jury of O.J Simpson's innocence. To begin with, he uses Ethos by bring up a quote by Frederick Douglas that discusses the equality of all men and implying that if they vote O.J Simpson guilty it would be unethical because of his race. Next he appeals to pathos by using the statement "We haven't reached this goal yet, but certainly in this great county of ours, we're trying" to give a sense of both disappointment and pride first by showing that we haven't overcome discrimination yet but then that we still live in a great place that is striving. Finally, he appeals to logos in the first and last statements stating the fact that

Therefore, when Atticus is appointed to defend a African American man, named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white woman, it is a big deal. The kids learn alot about racial, injustice, and lying during the court case. Harper Lee conveys the theme that people lie mostly to avoid criticism by putting various characters in difficult situations.

Atticus said to Jem concerning the death sentence of Tom that he is “a colored man, Jem. No jury in this part of the world's going to say 'We think you're guilty, but not very' on a charge like that. It was either a straight acquittal or nothing” (Lee). In conclusion, Jim Crow laws and Scottsboro trials significantly influenced the plot and character evolution of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. All these cases the author witnessed and perceived as a personal matter.

Novelist Harper Lee, in her book To Kill a Mockingbird, depicts the racism and inequalities in the town of Maycomb by having a white man, Atticus Finch, defend Tom Robinson who was black. Lee’s purpose is to show the world is unfair between races and we need to have compassion for others. She adopts a serious tone to appeal to people’s morals to do the right the thing by those seeking changes for equality. Throughout his closing argument, Atticus ensures credibility, mentioning God, and by presenting evidence that Tom Robinson is not guilty but someone in the courtroom is, to explain Mayella’s reasoning to lie. When Atticus presented the “circumstantial evidence to indicate Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left hand”, he mentions Mr. Ewell “did what any God-fearing .

Mercedes Tyliszczak Mr. Hamelin ENG 2D1 4 April 2016 Literature and Writing: Character Analysis The optimal Southern liberal lawyer in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird; the main character Atticus Finch's has a great moral standard which any man would be proud to obtain. He is an archetype of personal courage in the first part of this novel chapters 1 through 11, and his courage is demonstrated over time repeatedly. Atticus displays his definition of courage through his actions and behaviors within chapter 9 and 10. During the whole of chapter 9, Atticus reveals moral courage when he decides to defend and protect an innocent man named Tom Robinson. Who is a black man that has been accused of raping a white woman in the town Maycomb which is extremely racist.

In chapters 17-24 in To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem and Scout observe their father in court defending Tom Robinson (a black man) from the accusations of the Bob Ewell (a "low grade ' ' white man). Bob Ewell accuses Tom Robinson of sexually assaulting his daughter; Mayella Ewell. Before the fate of Tom Robinson is given in the possession of the jury, both lawyers have a final attempt at convincing the jury that Tom Robinson should/shouldn 't be prosecuted. Atticus starts off his closing remarks with the fact that he believes that the case should have never come to trial and that the case "”is as simple as black and white." Atticus uses his credibility as a renowned lawyer in Maycomb County and his confidence in Tom Robinson 's to prove the jury of Tom 's innocence.

Furthermore, the characters that display courage within To Kill a Mockingbird all have something in common; they all want to do something for the better. Atticus, Boo Radley, and Mrs. Dubose are all examples of courageous characters within To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, is just one of the wonderful examples of courageous characters within the novel. When Atticus is faced with controversy, he faces it head on and stands up for what he believes in. In the book, he is assigned to defend a black man in court who is accused of raping a white woman.

She is taught this by her father, Atticus, who risks everything as a lawyer to defend a black man who is accused for a crime that he did not commit. As the novel progresses, it is necessary to change perspective on those accused of crimes in order to deteriorate racial prejudice. By examining the characters in Maycomb, it becomes clear that closed-minded people are the source of prejudice because their opinion is incapable of expanding and understanding the purpose of an individual’s true personality. Early in the story, Atticus teaches Scout about having