To Kill A Mockingbird Rhetorical Analysis

Imagine you are in a town where racism is evident and you have been falsely accused of rape against a white woman, Mayella Ewell. You are an African American young man who has a beautiful wife and children, fighting for your freedom in a trial that could end with you being six feet underground. The evidence of the trial is to your advantage and your defending attorney is now presenting his closing argument that is sure to prove your innocence. The major conflict in the trial is the inequality you face because you are a colored man against a white woman. Racism was one of the many problems affecting the United States, especially in southern states, during the 1930’s. It is still a major issue in the United States today. In “To Kill A Mockingbird” …show more content…
Atticus states, “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 look upon a woman without desire (Lee 273).” The use of ethos affected the reader with a sudden slap to reality. It informs the reader of the information most people tend to forget or ignore. No one in this world is perfect. Mistakes are made constantly during one’s lifetime. We, as human beings, cannot live a perfect life. Humans are conditioned to make choices, whether they are positive or negative. Lee reminds the reader that not one person is perfect and not one person can say they have never done any bad. Lee acknowledges a brilliant way to engrave this information in both the reader’s and jury members’ minds, adding onto the evidence that both Mr. Robinson and Ms. Ewell have had their share of mistakes, hinting this trial may be a mistake on Mayella’s …show more content…
Lee provides a vivid explanation of the flawed opinion of those who dislike the colored community, based on skin color. Lee uses logos by providing logical evidence that most don’t want to accept as a result of society’s judgemental views. Nearing the end of his exquisite closing argument, Atticus claims, “ You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men cannot 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. (Lee 273).” The repetition Lee uses conveys the emphasis that makes the reader understand that there is some people who do these actions, but not all. It makes the reader feel as though they are learning new information themselves. Colored men are seen as the enemies of everyone. They are described to be horrible, vile monsters who don’t deserve respect. Lee describes many colored men to be respectful, sympathetic, and the opposite of the stereotypes they are labeled as. As a member in society, it is unfair to label a group of people based on one or few people pertaining to that group. There is no two people alike in a group. Everyone has different lifestyles, morals, knowledge, and goals. A group’s reputation shouldn’t based solely on those who commit the good and bad decisions, but each individual member of the group should have their