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

TKAM Annotations Chart - Round Robin Name Erin Millus

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

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

1  Dill  Informal  Pathos  Dill is trying to make Jem 

  “You gonna run out  feel guilty for not doing 
 
 
on a dare?” asked  the bet, so Jem will do it. 
  Dill. “If you are,  This worries Jem about his 
  then--”  reputation of never losing 
Page #15  a bet. 

2  Miss  Formal  Ethos  Miss Caroline, being the 

  Caroline  “Everybody who  teacher of the children, 
 
 
goes home to lunch  can order them what to do 
Page #21  hold up your hands,”  and they will listen. 

3  Jem  Informal  Pathos  Jem told Walter he was 

  “Come on home to  glad to have him over 
 
 
dinner with us,  making Walter feel 
  Walter,” he said.  welcome. It persuaded 
  “We’d be glad to  Walter to come over for 
Page #26  have you.”  dinner. 

4  Jem  Informal  Ethos  Jem threatened Scout he 

  “You don’t ‘n’ I’ll tell  was going to tell 
 
 
Calpurnia on you!”  Calpurnia on him. This 
  made Scout follow Jem’s 
  orders because of 
Page #38  Calpurnia’s authority. 

5  Dill  Informal  Pathos  Dill made Scout feel like 

    “If you don’t say  she had to do what Dill 
 
 
  you’ll do what we tell  said because she would 
  you, we ain’t gonna  feel left out if the boys 
  tell you anything,”  would not tell her what is 
Page #51  going on. 

6  Jem  Informal  Pathos  Jem yells at Scout and is 

    “Scout, I’m tellin’ you  mean to her which makes 
 
 
  for the last time,  her feel sad. This makes 
    shut your trap or go  her listen to Jem and 
    home--I declare to  follows him. 
    the Lord you’re 
    gettin’ more like a 
Page #58 
  girl everyday day!” 

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

7  Atticus  Formal  Logos  Atticus told Scout this to 

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

    “Atticus told me to  teach her how to speak 

    delete the adjectives  right. This teaches her 
   
   
and I’d have the  how she needs to act 
Page #67    facts.”  whether or not someone is 
  being respectful. 

8  Miss  Informal  Ethos  Miss Maudie is 

  Maudie  “I cannot answer  establishing herself as the 
 
 
that question, Jem  adult and ordering Jem to 
  Finch. All I know is if  cover up her flowers. This 
  it freezes tonight  makes Jem listen to her. 
  these plants’ll 
  freeze, so you cover 
Page #74 
‘em up. Is that 
clear?” 

9  Cecil  Informal  Pathos  Cecil Jacobs said this to 

  Jacobs  “He had announced  Scout which made her 
 
 
in the school-yard  upset and angry. This 
  the day before that  grew her anger and made 
  Scout Finch’s daddy  her start getting violent 
  defended n***ers.”  when people mentioned 
  her father’s association 
Page #85 
with negroes. 

10  Miss Maulie  Informal  Logos  Miss Maulie is telling 

  “I mean young  Scout because of her 
 
 
grown-ups. You’re  father’s older age she was 
  lucky, you know. You  raised different than the 
  and Jem have the  children with parents of 
  benefit of your  younger age. This gives 
  father’s age. If your  Scout a reason to be 
 
father was thirty  thankful for her father’s 
 
  you’d find life quite  age. 
Page #104  different.” 

11  Atticus  Formal  Ethos  Atticus is suggesting Jem 

  “Son, I have no  to apologise to 
 
 
doubt that you’ve  Mrs.Dubose and Jem 
  been annoyed by  knows he has no option 
  your  because he knows better 
  contemporaries  than to disobey Atticus. 
  about me lawing for  Jem then makes the 
 
n***ers, as you say,  decision to go to 
 
  but to do something  Mrs.Dubose, unlike his 
  like this to a sick old  decision before.  
  lady is inexcusable. I 
  strongly advise you 
Page #119 
to go down and 
 As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

have a talk with 

Mrs.Dubose.” 

12  Scout  Informal  Logos  Scout knows she is not big 

  “All he needs is  enough to fight the kid, 
 
 
somebody to beat  due to logic, so she 
  him up, and I ain’t  suggests somebody 
  big enough.”  bigger needs. This calls 
Page #131  for someone to volunteer. 

Examples of Fallacious Reasonings  

Chapter  Character  Fallacy Used  What effect did it have? 
13 

  Aunt Alexandra   Ad Hominem  Aunt Alexandra is moving in 

  before Scout becomes 
  interested in “clothes and 
  boys” knowing well enough 
  that will not happen anytime 
  in the near future. Aunt 
  Alexandra moving in is 
  directed more towards 
Page  changing Scout than being a 
#145  feminine figure in her life. 

  Aunt Alexandra  Slippery Slope  Aunt Alexandra tells Scout 

  to stop scratching her head 
  because if you scratch your 
  head, that means your head 
  is dirty. If your head is dirty, 
  then you have lice. If you 
  have lice, you will become an 
Page  embarrassment to the family 
#144  and so on. 

  Aunt Alexandra   Black / White  Aunt Alexandra believes she 

  has to either go live with the 
  Finch family to improve them, 
Page  or not go live with them and 
#146  they deteriorate. 

  Atticus  Rhetoric Question  Atticus asked Jem if he would 

  like Aunt Alexandra to live 
  with them, although she was 
  already moving in and 
Page  Atticus knew Jem would have 
#146  to say yes. 

  Aunt Alexandra  Non Sequitur  Aunt Alexandra would say 

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

  the women in a certain family 

  were “flighty” because one 
Page  women in their family 
#147  committed suicide. 
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 # 

Chapter  Jem and Dill  Flivver  It affected the meaning because 

1  the boys took someone’s car and 
Page 5 
went driving around without 
 
permission. They were being 
 
rebellious. 

Chapter  Scout  The Crash  It affected the tone because the 

2   crash hit American’s very hard 
Page 11 
and it was a large tragedy. This 
 
created a sad and pity tone for 
 
the Cunninghams. 

Chapter  Miss Maudie  Lane Cake  It affected the tone because it 
8  made the mood happier that she 
Page 40 
would make him a cake. 
 
 
 

Chapter  Scout  Bootleggers  It affected the tone because 

10  bootleggers are bad enough, 
Page 64 
creating a huge insult to women. 
 

Chapter  Atticus  Fountain Pen  It affected the meaning because 

17  Atticus took out his fountain pen, 
Page 94 
used for professional work.