ANALYSIS OF ATTICUS FINCH SPEECH 1

Analysis of Atticus Finch speech Michael el !occio Santana "e#ini Colle$e of uPa$e Co#position I Eli%a&eth An'e(son Octo&e( )th* +,1-

Atticus Finch Speech + Analysis of Atticus Finch speech .e ha/e all hea(' a&out the $enuine fa#ily* Scout* 0e#* an' Atticus Finch f(o# the no/el* To kill a Mockingbird* &y Ha(pe( Lee. All of the# possess cou(a$eous cha(acte(istics that put the# in 'an$e(ous situations* &ut al1ays 2ept us (ea'in$ fo( #o(e3 Life $oes on 'u(in$ the 'ep(ession in the s#all to1n of Maco#& Ala&a#a 1he(e Scout* a (ou$h little $i(l* an' 0e#* a p(otecti/e ol'e( &(othe(* $o a&out thei( li/es (aise' &y thei( 'a'* Atticus3 Atticus is a la1ye( 1ho ta2es on a ne1 client* To# 4o&inson* an Af(ican A#e(ican3 To# is &ein$ accuse' of (ape to1a(' a youn$ 1hite 1o#an* Mayella E1ell3 It happens that Mayella #a2es a #o/e to1a(' To#* &ut a 1hite 1o#an li2enin$ a &lac2 #an is unthin2a&le3 Afte( all the in/esti$ation an' e/i'ence* To# is clea(ly innocent3 Atticus has ta2en on the tas2 of pe(sua'in$ a cou(t(oo# full of ha(' 1o(2in$ 1hite #en in the south* to #a2e the (i$ht 'ecision instea' of follo1in$ histo(ies cou(se that lea's to 'isc(i#inatin$ a$ainst Af(ican A#e(icans3 Atticus5s closin$ speech to the 6u(y effecti/ely e#ploys lo$os* ethos* an' pathos to e#phasi%e the the#e of e7uality3 The(e a(e #any e8a#ples 'u(in$ his speech that (ep(esent lo$os* ethos* an' pathos* &ut Atticus Finch sta(ts out his speech usin$ the lo$os (heto(ical appeal to p(o/e to the 6u(y that 1ith all the e/i'ence p(esent* the(e is no 1ay to $et a(oun' the t(uth3 Lo$ically the e/i'ence p(o/i'e' p(o/es one thin$* To#5s innocents3 The 6u(y is suppose'ly all honest #en an' they ha/e to &elie/e 1hat is p(o/en to &e t(ue3 In the fi(st pa(a$(aph of his speech Atticus states* 9The state of Ala&a#a has not p(o'uce' one iota of #e'ical e/i'ence that sho1s that the c(i#e To# 4o&inson is cha($e' 1ith e/e( too2 place3: This lo$ical state#ent e8plains that the state of Ala&a#a has not &een a&le to p(o/i'e any #e'ical histo(y of Mayella actually &ein$ attac2e' an' hu(t &y To# 4o&inson3 If Mayella 1as (eally hu(t &y To# the(e 1oul' ha/e &een a (epo(t &y the 'octo( p(o/i'in$ info(#ation on 1he(e an' ho1 &a' Mayella 1as hu(t sho1in$ that the(e 1as a si$n of

Atticus Finch Speech st(u$$le3 !esi'es this piece of e/i'ence Atticus e8plains clea(ly* 9It (e7ui(es no #inute siftin$ of co#plicate' facts* &ut it 'oes (e7ui(e you to &e su(e &eyon' all (easona&le 'ou&t as to the $uilt of the 'efen'ant3: He(e he is sayin$ that the(e a(e no co#plicate' facts to 'e&ate on* e/e(ythin$ lo$ically #a2es sense* &ut Atticus 'oes t(y to sho1 the 6u(y that he un'e(stan's the#3 In o('e( to st(en$then Atticus5s a($u#ent he $a/e c(e'it to the cou(t syste# fo( &asin$ innocence an' $uilt off of fact* /e(sus 6u'$#ents of the 6u(y3 In the en' of his speech Atticus al#ost $uilt the 6u(y &y sayin$ that the cou(t syste# is &uilt on* all #en a(e c(eate' e7ual3 Atticus 2no1s that the #en in the cou(t(oo# 1ant to 'o the (i$ht thin$ an' 2eep to the t(uth* &ut #o(e #o'e(n issues stan' in the 1ay than 6ust follo1in$ the t(a'itional cou(t3 One of the points Atticus #a2es is* 9That institution is the cou(t3 !ut a cou(t is only as soun' as its 6u(y* an' the 6u(y is only as soun' as the #en 1ho #a2e it up3: He(e Atticus is pointin$ out that he 2no1s the #en on the 6u(y 1ill not &ase thei( 'ecision on $uilty o( innocent* o( on the facts* &ut on the (acial issue that stan's3 !y tal2in$ to the 6u(y a&out &ein$ an honest #an appeals to ethos i#plyin$ that e/e(yone in the cou(t (oo# &elie/es in that they 1ill #a2e the (i$ht choice3 The last appeal Atticus uses is pathos3 This appeal is /e(y i#po(tant &ecause it (eaches out to the e#otions of the people 'eci'in$ To# 4o&inson5s fate3 4eli$ion plays a la($e (ole in #any people5s li/es an' can &e /e(y influential3 Especially in a s#all to1n in the south it is essential that (eli$ion is a facto( in you( life an' one can &e loo2e' 'o1n upon if they clai# to &e anythin$ else &ut a &elie/e( in $o'3 .ith this lifestyle* Atticus uses it to his a'/anta$e 1hen he ste(nly says* 9In the na#e of "o'* 'o you( 'uty3 In the na#e of "o'* $entle#en* &elie/e To# 4o&inson3: !y usin$ the na#e of $o' Atticus is tu$$in$ at the (eli$ious &ac2$(oun' e/e(yone $(e1 up on3 Usin$ $o's na#e #a2es e/e(yone in the cou(t (oo# (eali%e this is a se(ious issue an' that $o' is 1atchin$ 1hat they 'o3 Not only 'oes Atticus use $o'5s na#e* &ut he also c(eates

Atticus Finch Speech ; a feelin$ insi'e e/e(yone &y co##entin$* 9I ha/e nothin$ &ut pity in #y hea(t fo( the chief 1itness fo( the state* &ut #y pity 'oes not e8ten' so fa( as to he( puttin$ a #an<s life at sta2e3: Atticus uses 1o('s li2e* Pity* an' the (e#a(2 of puttin$ a #an5s life at sta2e3 He is #a2in$ e/e(yone feel &a' fo( the situation at han' an' puts it in si#ple te(#s* 1hen To# is p(o/en $uilty* his life is o/e(3 E/e(yone in the to1n 2no1s that To# is a $enuine* ha('1o(2in$ an' nice $uy* so the he 7uote Atticus says c(eates a (e$(etful feelin$ &ecause e/e(yone 2no1s that To# is innocent an' they a(e the ones 1ho ha/e to 'eal 1ith the thou$ht of p(osecutin$ an innocent #an* $uilty3 Th(ou$h ethos* pathos* an' lo$os* Atticus c(eates a the#e th(ou$hout his speech3 The #ain focus he 'e#onst(ates is* E7uality3 E7uality is so#ethin$ that $o/e(n#ent has pushe' on us fo( 'eca'es* that 1o#an an' othe( #ino(ities ha/e st(i/e' fo(3 Atticus 2no1s that the only (eason To# 4o&inson is &ein$ t(iale' is &ecause the(e is no e7uality* so Atticus is t(yin$ to spa(2 the fla#e that (einfo(ces the i'ea of e7uality an' push sta(t a ne1 #o/e#ent3 Atticus uses the $o/e(n#ent as an e8a#ple &y (epeatin$ Tho#as 0effe(son* 9Tho#as 0effe(son once sai' that all #en a(e c(eate' e7ual* a ph(ase that the $o/e(n#ent is fon' of hu(lin$ at us3: Anothe( ethos appeal= this is a p(i#e e8a#ple of Atticus puttin$ it plain an' si#ple* that this case co#es 'o1n to e7uality an' To# 1ill &e foun' $uilty solely on the fact that he is Af(ican A#e(ican3 All pieces of e/i'ence an' info(#ation Atticus p(esents in his speech* an' e/e(y state#ent he #a2es* is (elate' to ho1 the only issues that stan's in the 1ay is the le/el of e7uality 1hile To# is o&/iously innocent3 It is easy to assu#e that the st(on$* inti#i'atin$* Af(ican A#e(ican #an is the one to &la#e 1hen face' 1ith a case in/ol/in$ an innocent little 1hite $i(l 1ho clai#e' she 1as (ape'3 The 2ey is to not 6u'$e (i$ht a1ay &ecause as the sayin$ $oes* innocent until p(o/en $uilty3

Atticus Finch Speech > Atticus* the $enuine an' honest la1ye( of Maco#&* Ala&a#a* p(o/es to the people of this s#all to1n that the(e is a &i$$e( issue than* he sai'* she sai'* 1ho 'i' 1hat3 Atticus uses lo$os* an' p(o/es lo$ically that the(e is no 1ay To# 4o&inson coul' ha/e co##itte' the c(i#e of attac2in$ Mayella E1ell3 He uses Ethos to sho1 c(e'i&ility to the cou(t syste# an' 1hat it shoul' &e li2e* e8cept the 6u(y is not a&i'in$ &y the syste#3 In his othe( (heto(ical st(ate$y* Atticus uses pathos to &(in$ out the e#otions in the people in the cou(t (oo# &y usin$ st(on$ 1o('s that ha/e a 'eep #eanin$ to e/e(yone3 O/e(all his the#e of e7uality p(o/i'es a st(on$ &ase fo( his stance on the issue of innocent o( $uilty3 E/en thou$h in the en' To# 4o&inson is still p(o/en $uilty &y the 6u(y* Atticus p(o/i'e' a st(on$* lo$ical* c(e'i&le* an' e#otional speech that fo(#e' ne1 i'eas an' 1ays of thin2in$ in e/e(yone in the cou(t (oo#3
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Atticus Finch Speech ?

References 4ossi* 03 @To Aill a Moc2in$&i('B Atticus Finch Speech of E7uality3@ Rhetoric and Civic Life3 N3p3* +> Ma(3 +,113 .e&3 -, Sept3 +,1-