Flitton 1

Caden Flitton
Ms. Starry
English 9H Period 3
19 October 2015
TKAM Literary Analysis
In Atticus's final and closing argument in an attempt to save Tom Robinson's life,
he uses multiple persuasive literary devices, like an allusion and an anaphora, in order to
persuade the jurors to acquit Mr. Robinson as innocent from all charges. When discussing
how all men are equal in court, Atticus creates an allusion by stating, "...there is one
human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller" (Lee 208). By creating
this allusion, Atticus brings the attention of the jury to his argument. The allusion helps to
create a picture in the jurors' minds that, in a courtroom, everyone is truly looked at as
equals. Atticus uses the anaphora, "...some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some
Negro men are not to be trusted around women- black or white" (Lee 207), when
speaking on how all men, in court, are created equal despite race. With this anaphora,
Atticus emphasizes the fact that indeed some Negroes lie, some are immoral, and some
can't be trusted around women, however, not all Negro men, like Tom, are like this. Using
an anaphora and an allusion, Atticus is able to create a powerful and persuasive closing
argument. Atticus also utilizes the persuasive devices to cause the jury to take an unusual,
extended time to make a decision on whether or not Tom Robinson was guilty.

Flitton 2
Works Cited
Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1960. Print.