As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

TKAM Annotations Chart - Round Robin Name _________________________

Harper Lee uses rhetoric and various language styles in her novel ​To Kill a 
Mockingbird.​ ​She created characters such as Atticus, who mostly speaks in a formal 
tone and uses rhetoric towards his children, people throughout the community, and 
the jury in the courtroom. Harper created a 6 year old narrator that uses many styles 
of language as she speaks to her father (Atticus), her brother (Jem), her house maid 
(Calpurnia or Cal), her fiance’ (Dill), and neighbors.  

Language styles created by authors: 

​Rhetorical Appeals:​ the language authors, speakers, or ANYONE uses to make an 
impression or persuade others. Rhetoric is considered the art of persuasion. 
1. Ethos​ - speaker’s ability to establish himself as credible or an expert on the 
matter 
2. Pathos​ - speaker’s ability to appeal to the emotions of the listeners/audience. (a 
“play” on emotions) 
3. Logos​ - speaker’s ability to use logic, reason, facts, statistics to prove his/her 
point 
 
​Rhetoric can also be in the form of literary devices: ​allusions, irony, imagery, simile, 
metaphor, hyperbole, oxymoron, parallelism, repetition, personification, and more! 
 
Style: formal language vs. informal language:​ ​everyone switches up how they use 
language depending on where they are or who they’re with. The language we use 
depends on our circumstances. Author’s switch up the type of language they use 
when they write. 
1. Informal language ​- personal or slang language that we use with someone we 
know very well. We use personal pronouns and contractions when we speak to 
family or friends. Uses active voice. 
2. Formal language​ - professional and business-like language we use with people 
we don’t know. Uses passive voice and higher level words. 
3. Objective tone​ - States the facts or what was heard, seen, or said; no opinions. 
Can sometimes be used with formal language 
4. Subjective tone​ - speaks using opinions; usually associated with informal 
language 
 
Allusions: ​when authors refer to famous people, characters, stories, myths, to 
emphasize their point. Lee Harper uses a lot of unfamiliar allusions in TKAM. 
 
Fallacious reasoning/fallacies: ​a deceptive or misleading statement. A fallacious 
argument can fool human reasoning. 
 
 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

Rhetorical Devices  
Required  Character  Quote from character  Type of  What effect did it have on the 
chapter  (label formal or informal)  Rhetoric  situation? 

1      Ethos  Arguing with dill over if 

      turtles can feel matches. 
 
 
  Informal “Turtles 
  Jem  can’t feel stupid,” 
   
   
Page 
#15__ 

2    Informal or formal:  Lagos  Scout is asking why Mr. 

    Informal   Cunningham pays him 
 
 
  “Why does he pay  with crops instead of 
  Scout  you like that?”  money 
Page     
#_23_ 

3    “But what about  Pathos  She is asking about the 

    their parents?  Ewells with genuine 
 
 
  “  concern.  
    Informal 
  Miss 
Page  Caroline 
#__30_ 
 

4    “No, I mean I can  Ethos  Saying he can smell if 

    smell somebody an’  someone is going to die 
 
 
  tell if they’re gonna  and Jem and Scout can’t, 
  Dill  die. An old lady  even though Dill most 
    taught me how”.  likely cannot smell death.  
    Informal.  
Page   
#_40__ 

5    “Putting his life’s  Lagos  Atticus is trying to explain 

    history on display  to the kids why they are 
 
 
  for the edification of  doing wrong.  
  Atticus  the neighborhood”. 
    Formal  
Page   
#_55__ 

      Lagos  Using logic to ask Jem 

6    “Where’re your  where his pants are 
 
 
  pants, son?”  because he is walking 
  Atticus  informal  around with no pants.  
   
Page   
#61   
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

   
   
Page #___ 
 

Required  Character  Quote from character  Type of  What effect did it have on the 
chapter  (label formal or informal)  Rhetoric  situation? 

    Informal  Pathos  Scout uses Jem’s emotions to 

7    “Somebody like Walter  keep him from getting the twine 
  Scout  Cunningham comes  from the tree.  
    down here every recess 
    and hides his 
    things-and we come 
Page    along and take em’ away 
#_66__  from him”. 

  Jem  “He sneaked out of the  Pathos  Appealing to Scout’s fear of 
8  house-turn  boo Radley. 
  ‘round-sneaked up, an’ 
  went like this”. 
 
 
 
Page 
#__82_ 

  Francis  “Grandma says all men  Ethos  Grandma said it, therefore it is 
  should learn to cook,  being appealed as a quote 
  that men oughta be  from an authoritative figure.  
9  careful with their wives 
  and wait on em’ when 
  they don’t feel good”. 
 
Page 
#__92_ 

  Jem   “I reckon if he’d wanted  Lagos  Using logic of Atticus based on 
  us to know it, he’da told  what he knows.  
  us. If he was proud of it, 
10  he’da told us.” 
 
 
 
Page #112 

  Mrs.Dubose  “She said it was  Pathos  Appealing to their emotions to 

  heartbreaking the way  make the kids behave. 
  Atticus Finch let her 
11  children run wild” 
 
 
 
Page 
#_115__ 

  Atticus  “You doing this to a sick  Lagos  Logic, don’t bother sick elders, 
  old lady is inexcusable”  be respectful. Atticus is trying 
  to teach empathy.  
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

12 
 
 
 
Page 
#119___ 

 
 
Examples of Fallacious Reasonings 
Chapter  Character  Fallacy Used  What effect did it have? 
13 

  Aunt Alexandra  False cause  Saying that since girls are 

  interested in clothes and 
  scout is a girl she will be 
  interested in clothes. 
 
 
 
Page 
#_145_
__ 

  Aunt Alexandra   Hasty Generalization  Saying that all Penfield 

  women are flighty, which 
  persuades them to think that.  
 
 
Page 
#_148_
__ 
 

  Alexandra  Red herring  Scout does not know who Lily 

  Brooke is so Alexandra goes 
  and gets a book written by 
  their cousin Joshua. It was 
  successful.  
 
Page 
#_151_
__ 

       
 
 
 
 
 
Page 
#____ 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

  Alexandra   Red Herring  Tells scout “That’s all, We’ll 

  see about this”. To change 
  the subject since Scout is 
  talking about how he was 
  imprisoned because he 
  attempted to assassinate the 
Page  president.  
#_151_
__ 
 
Allusions (use the ​Allusions Survival Guide​ to help you ) 
Chapter  Character  What allusion did they use?  How did it affect the meaning or tone? 
& 
Page # 

  Scout  Andrew Jackson  Saying Maycomb began with 

  Andrew Jackson. 
1  
Page 1 
 
 
 

  scout  Confederate veteran.  Scout said her uncle was the sole 
  surviving confederate soldier. 
 
 
9 
Page 
87 
 
 

  Atticus  Mockingbird  Saying mockingbirds are 

  peaceful. 
 
 
10 
Page 
103 
 

12  Scout  Shadrach  Scout is saying they put a kid in 

Page   a hot room to play a game called 
  “Shadrach” a reference to the 
  biblical story about how 
  Shadrach Meshack and 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

  Abendigo were saved from fire 

  by believing and trusting in God.   
 

  Scout   War between the states,  Saying alabama was left out of 
  civil war.   the civil war.  
 
13 
Page 
149-150