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

TKAM Annotations Chart - Round Robin Name - Abigail VanDeusen

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 housemaid 
(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 the 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  Scout  Informal  Pathos  Scout saying this made the 

    “Our mother died when I  reader feel bad for her family 
Page #6  was two, so I never felt  because her mother died a 
her absence.”  such a young age, she doesn’t 
  really remember her.  
 
 

2  Miss Caroline  Formal  Ethos  Miss Caroline saying this is 

    “You're starting off on  her way of trying to inform her 
Page #24    the wrong foot in every  new class that no one will be 
way, my dear. Hold out  allowed to disrespect her 
your hand.”  without some kind of 
punishment.  

3  Jem  Informal  Logos  Jem saying this would be 

    “You’re bigger than he  reasoning that explains to 
Page #25    is.”  Scout that she is bigger than 
  he is, which makes it not fair.  
 
 

4  Dill  Informal  Pathos  Dill saying this makes the 

    “Jem, you and me can  reader feel bad for Scout 
Page #43    play and Scout can  because Dill and Jem are 
  watch if she’s scared.”  leaving her out because “she’s 
  too scared”.  
 
 

5  Miss Maudie  Formal  Logos  Miss Maudie saying this is her 

    “Thing is, foot-washers  trying to logic when it comes 
Page #50    think women are a sin by  to Mr. Author always staying 
  definition. They take the  in his house.  
  bible literally, you know.” 
 

6  Jem  Informal  Pathos   Jem saying this makes the 

    “Scout, I’m tellin’ you for  reader feel bad for Scout 
Page #58    the last time, shut your  because of the way Jem 
  trap or go home… I  thinks of her, just because 
  declare to the Lord  she’s a girl. 
  you’re gettin’ more like a 
  girl every day!” 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 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? 

  Atticus  Informal  Ethos  Atticus using his own 

7    “Delete the adjectives  knowledge of being a lawyer 
    and you’ll have the  to teach Scout how to only 
Page #67    facts.”  use facts and not be biased 
  because he knows the effects 
  it can cause.   
 

  Jem  Informal  Pathos  Jem saying sorry to Miss 

8  “We’re awful sorry!”  Maudie after her house burns 
  up, shows how emotional this 
Page #82  time was for Maycomb.  

  Scout  Informal  Logos  Scout is smart and uses logic 

9  “Well if you don’t want  to try to persuade Atticus to 
  me to grow up talkin’  not make her to school.  
Page #86  that way, why do you 
send me to school?” 

  Atticus  Informal  Ethos  Atticus to trying to use his 

10  “Not being wheeled  knowledge to prove that he is 
  around yet, am I?”  capable, even though he’s old.  
Page #103 

  Scout  Informal  Logos  Scout uses logic to try to tell 

11  “Atticus, you must be  Atticus that what he was 
  wrong… well, most folks  doing was wrong since more 
Page #120  seem to think they’re  people think it’s wrong than 
right and you’re wrong.”  right.  

  Calpurnia  Informal   Ethos  Calpurnia does her best to let 

12  “Stop it right there!”  Lula know who has control in 
  this situation, which causes 
Page #135  no racial disagreements.  

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

  Jem  Hasty Generalization  Hasty Generalization causes Aunt 

  Alexandra to have theories about 
Page  certain people, which leads Jem to 
#147  believe that the Erwells were fine 
folks.  

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

  Aunt Alexandra  Faulty Analogy  Faulty Analogy causes everyone 

Page #  that lives in Maycomb look like they 
  were bad people because of a few 
people.  

  Atticus  Appeal to Authority  Appeal to Authority causes Atticus 

  to make Scout and Jem “live up” to 
their family name by making sure 
  they do nothing to make 
Page # 
themselves look bad.  

  Jem  Black/White/Either/Or  Black/White/Either/Or causes Jem 

Page  to say that there are either black 
#185  people or white people and that 
  there is no between.  

  Mr. Tate  Appeal to Authority  Appeal to Authority causes Mr. 

Page  Tate to think that if you dress nice 
#189  for certain events, it will cause them 
  to be taken a lot more seriously.  

 
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 # 

18  Scout  Mr. Jingle  This allusion added some humor to the 
  text, which made it not as serious.  
 
 
 
 

13  Scout  A War between States  This allusion shows that Maycomb was 
  not a part of the “war”, but they were 
ignored.  
 
 
 
 

20  Atticus   Einstein  This allusion shows how much money 

  can affect the amount of power 
someone has.  
 
 
 
 

21  Atticus   Man who sat on a Flag Pole  This allusion refers to a man that sat on 
  a stranger's fads, which was what 
Atticus was reading about.  
 
 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

 
 
 

22  Scout  Give the Lie  This allusion means that everything Dill 
  had said about Miss Stephanie and 
Miss Rachel was true.