To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Speech

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is a perfect example of the use of the Rhetorical Stance: pathos, ethos, and logos in a novel. He illustrates these three things not only in the courtroom but throughout the novel. In the novel, Harper Lee uses the three to describe his speech in persuading jurors of the innocence of Tom Robinson from the accusations that he molested Mayella by exploiting his real identity as a believer in god. In his context, Atticus uses ethos in his speech in an attempt to get across to the jurors what he believes is meant by proclaiming one’s veneration of deities. This is an example of ethos for the reason that in ethos, you struggle to show up yourself as plausible in order to influence the audience. As Atticus continues to utilize ethos to influence the jurors about Tom's innocence, he also begins to use pathos to manipulate his audience.

Nonetheless, Atticus swears to the audience that he did not do the act, and the latter believes that he is innocent in his version of the story. In this case ethos is presented in the story as a means of showing credibility in convincing the audience. Atticus moves on in exercising pathos in his speech by highlighting the reality that the jury has a significant task to follow. In reminding the jurors of this essential duty, Atticus tries to give them a sensation of nobility that they ought to do the same for Tom Robinson. The technique used by Atticus to manipulate the jury’s feelings as well as convincing them is an exemplar of pathos since pathos necessitates the use of sentiment in an effort to convince the audience.

Taking a look into this scenario, it becomes clear that people in the society always try to defend themselves as being quite good but their immoral aspects are far worse than you ever thought. Atticus argues that Tom is indeed a good person and does not deserve to be