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 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      Pathos  Scout saying this led the 

    “Our mother died  reader to understand 
 
 
  when I was two, so I  their situation and have a 
  Scout   never felt her  bit of pity on their family 
  absence” 
   
Page # 6   
 
 
 

2    “Jean Louise, I've  ethos  This shows that she is the 

  Miss  had about enough  one in power in this 
 
 
Caroline  of you this morning…  situation and is going to 
    You're starting off  prove it. 
Page # 24    on the wrong foot in 
  every way, my dear. 
Hold out your hand.” 

3    “You’re bigger than  Logos  Jem is trying to use 

    he is”  reason to explain to scout 
 
 
Jem  that she is bigger than he 
    is and that not fair. 
   
Page # 25   

4    “Jem you and me  Pathos   Dill is playing on scouts; 

    can play and scout  fear of the Radleys so he 
 
 
  can watch if she  can get her to do what he 
  Dill  scared”  wants 
   
   
Page # 43   

5    Formal  logos  Miss maudie tries to 

  Miss  “Thing is  explain why Mr. Author 
 
 
Maudie   foot-washers think  always stays in his house 
    women are a sin by  by using logic 
    definition. They take 
Page #50    the bible literally 
 

    Informal   Pathos  Jem gets Scout to be 

6  Jem   Scout, I’m tellin’ you  quiet and come along with 
 
 
  for the last time,  them by saying that she is 
    shut your trap or go  acting like a girl, he knows 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

    home-- I declare to  Scout cannot stand this. 

    the Lord You’re 
 
 
  gettin’ more like a 
Page #58    girl every day! 
 
 

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

    Informal   Ethos   Atticus uses his knowledge 

7    Delete the adjectives  being a lawyer to teach Scout 
  Atticus   and you’ll have the facts  how to not be biased and give 
    facts 
   
   
Page # 67   

  Jem   Informal  pathos  Jem says sorry to MissMaudiee 

8  “We’re awful sorry”  about her house shows how 
  sad the situation is 
 
 
 
 
Page #82 

  Scout  Informal   Logos   Scout uses logic to persuade 

  Well if you don’t want me  Atticus not to send her to 
  to grow up talkin’ that  school, by saying this she 
9  way, why do you send me  makes her situation seem 
  to school  better 
 
 
Page # 86 

  Atticus  Informal  ethos  Atticus is trying to prove that 

  Not being wheeled  even though he is old he is still 
  around yet, am I?  capable 
10 
 
 
 
Page # 
103 

  Scout  Informal  logos  Scout thinks that Atticus must 

  Atticus you must be  be wrong because more people 
  wrong… well, most folks  see it as a wrong than a right, 
11  seem to think they’re  this lets Scout take advantage 
  right and you’re wrong...  of the situation using her logic 
 
 
Page # 
120 

  Calpurnia  Informal   ethos  Calpurnia lets Lula know that 

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

  Stop it right there  she is in control by doing this 

  she is able to avoid a racial 
12  disagreeing  
 
 
 
Page # 
135 

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

  Jem  Hasty Generalization  Aunt Alexandra had 

13  standards of the people of 
  Maycomb and by this 
  standard and if you go by 
  this the Ewells are good 
  people. 
 
Page 
#148 

  Aunt Alexandra  Faulty Analogy  It made everyone that lives in 

  Maycomb look like they are 
14  bad 
 
 
Page #  
 

  Atticus  Appeal to Authority  Atticus is making scout and 

  Jem live up to their family 
15  name 
 
 
 
Page 
#____ 

  Jem  Black or white  Jem says that you are either 

16  completely white or you are 
  considered black 
 
 
 
Page 
#185 
 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

  Mr. Tate  Appeal to Authority  By dressing nice for the 

  occasion he thinks he will be 
17  taken more seriously 
 
 
 
Page # 
189 
 
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   Mr. Jingle  This made the text not as serious 

18  and added the same humor 
 
 
 
 

  scout  A war between states  It said that Maycomb wasn't 

  apart of the “was” and they were 
   ignored 
13 
 
 
 

  Atticus  He alluded to Estine   To show how money can effect 

  power  
20 
 
 
 

  Atticus  A man who sat on a  Atticus was reading about 

  flag pole  someone who sat on a flagpole 
  this was referring to a man that 
21  sat on a stranger's fags   
 
 
 

  scout  Give the lie  This proves that what Dill said 
  about Miss, Stephanie, and Miss, 
22  Rachel is true 
 
 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.