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

TKAM Annotations Chart - Round Robin Name: Anastasia Bruorton

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 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  Jem  Dill blushed and  Imagery  This makes it to wear 

    Jem told me to hush,  scout s quiet and dill is 
 
 
  a sure sign that dill  thankful for Jem's action  
    had been studied 
  and found 
  acceptable 
Page #8  /Informal 
 

2    Jem’s nose wrinkled.  Metaphor  It made the situation 

    “Are we as poor as  because they were talking 
 
 
Jem  the Cunninghams?”  about money with their 
    /informal  dad 
Page #23   

3    He gave a short  Personifica This made the teacher feel 

    contemptuous snort.  tion  disrespected and mad 
 
 
  /informal 
   
  Ewell 
Page #30   

4    Mrs. Dubose was the  hyperbole  This tells us about the 

    meanest old women  neighbors 
 
 
Scout   who ever 
    lived/informal 
   
   
Page #39 

5    She was a widow, a  imagery  This is showing that scout 

    chameleon lady who  cares about her because 
 
 
  worked in her flower  she gives us a lot of 
    beds in an old straw  description and scout 
  scout  hat and men’s  knows her well 
Page #47    coveralls./formal 

    We strolled silently  imagery  This gives the page a 

6    down the sidewalk,  peaceful/creepy vibe 
 
 
  listening to the 
    porch swings 
    creaking with the 
  scout  weight of the 
    neighborhood, 
 
Page #57 
  listening to the soft 
  night-murmurs of 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

  the gown people on 

our street./formal 

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

    Atticus told me to delete  oxymoron  This is giving scout good 

7    the adjectives and I’d  advice 
  atticus  have the facts/formal 
   
   
   
Page #67   

  jem  “Mr. Avery sort of  metaphor  This is mocking Mr. Avery 
8  shaped like a snowman, 
  ain't he?”/informal 
 
 
 
 
Page #76 

  scout  My father looked at me  personificatio This makes Attusis seem to be 
  mildly, amusement in his  n  happy 
  eyes 
9 
 
 
 
Page #86 

  Scout  “Tim Johnson was  Metaphor  This makes this section more 
  advancing at a snail’s  dramatic 
  pace’’/informal 
10 
 
 
 
Page #108 

  Scout  “Jem, having survived  Exaggeration  This makes boo sound scarier 
  Boo Radley”/informal 
 
11 
 
 
 
Page #115 

  Scout  “Music again swelled    This makes the section seem 

  around us”  Personificatio more magical 
  n 
12 
 
 
 
Page #138 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

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

  Alexandra  “Didn’t your father tell  This shows that Jem and 
  you?”  scout did not know their aunt 
13  Fallacy used: Loaded  was coming to visit 
  question 
 
 
 
Page 
#144 

  Scout  “Although we heard no  This makes it seem like their 

  more about the Finch  aunt is wrong because she 
14  family form Aunt  did not tell them about the 
  Alexandra, we heard  finches 
  plenty from the town” 
Page  Fallacy used: Fallacy 
#153  association 
 

  Scout  “Two reasons: Death  This makes the section more 

15  and Politics”  serious 
  Fallacy used: 
  Black/white; Either/or 
 
 
Page 
#165 

  Scout  “Jem took me to his  This makes scout not think 

  room and put me in bed  about her problems and go 
16  beside him”try to go to  to sleep 
  sleep,” he said,”it'llbe 
  over tomorrow, maybe.” 
  Fallacy used: Red 
Page  Herring 
#177 
 

  Jem  “Jem i sid are those the  This makes the setting to 
  the Ewells sitting down  were they are more 
17  yonder” “ hush”  suspenseful  
  Fallacy used: Red 
  herring 
Page 189 

Allusions (use the ​Allusions Survival Guide​ to help you ) 

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

Chapter  Character  What allusion did they use?  How did it affect the meaning or tone? 
& 
Page # 

  Mr.Gilmer  “On the porch, which  This makes Mr. Gilmer seem 
  porch ain’t but one  mean and rude 
18  porch” 
  Fallacy used; 
204  Black/white either/or 
 

  Atticus  “Tom, what happened  This makes the story more 

19  to you on the evening  intense 
  of November 
  twenty-first of last year” 
219  Fallacy used: Appeal to 
  ignorance 
 

  Atticus  “Sh-h. nothing new, just  This makes them listen 

  the usual hush now ” 
20  Fallacy used: Appeal to 
  Author 
230   
 

  Mr. Tate  “This court will come to  This catches the attention and 
  order”  kinda mocked him 
21  Fallacy used: Ad 
  Hominem 
240 
 
 

  Miss Maudie  “Don't you oh well me  This makes miss Maudie seem 
  sir”  sassy because she just told him 
22  Fallacy used: Straw 
  Man 
 
246