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

TKAM Annotations Chart - Round Robin Name ​Anna Grace Hunter​_________

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​ - a 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      Logos  Scout does not 

  Scout    understand that some 
 
 
  “Then if he’s not  parents split or some kids 
    dead you’ve got one,  do not have any at that 
  haven’t you?”  time. She only knows that 
  Informal  they can die and that is 
Page #8    the only way she knows 
  that a child would not 
  have a parent. 

2    “Not exactly. The  Logos  It shows that Atticus knew 

    Cunninghams are  his family was poor, but 
 
 
Atticus  country folks,  the farmers were 
    farmers, and the  struggling even more. 
Page #23    crash hit them the 
hardest” 
Informal 

3    “Come on home to  Pathos  It shows that Jem is a 

    dinner with us,  person who will help 
 
 
  Walter, … We’d be  people and creates a kind 
  Jem  glad to have you.”  presence for Walter. 
    Formal 
Page #26   

4    “I’ve been chewin’ it  Logos  It shows that Scout is 

  Scout  all afternoon and I  someone who will do 
 
 
  ain’t dead yet, not  something if she knows it 
    even sick.”  would not kill her. 
    informal 
   
Page #37   

5    “Thank you ma’am.  logos  It shows that Miss Maudie 

    Thing is,  accepts the fact of the 
 
 
Miss  foot-washers think  people in her community 
  Maudie  women are a sin by  and it helps Scout to 
    definition. They take  understand some people. 
Page #50    the Bible literally, 
  you know.” 
informal 

    “‘A lickin’ hurts but it  Logos  This quote shows that 
6    doesn’t last. You’ll  scout does not want Jem 
 
 
Scout  get your head shot  to get in trouble with 
    off, Jem please’”  Atticus and tries to stop 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

    Informal  him from telling Atticus 

   
 
 
 
Page   
#__63_   
 

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

    “‘Atticus if it’s alright with  Pathos  It shows that Jem does not feel 
7    you , I’d rather have this  connected to his grandfather’s 
  Jem  one instead. Maybe I  watch like he used to 
    can fix it.” 
    Formal 
   
Page #___   

  Atticus  “‘I don’t care what you  Logos  Atticus informs Scout and Jem 
8  do, so long as you do  that making people that look 
  something.’ said Atticus.  like their neighbors could come 
  ‘You can’t go around  off offensive to them. 
  making caricatures of 
  the neighbors.’” 
  Informal 
Page #76 

  Atticus  “Of course I do. Don’t  Logos  It shows that Atticus wants 
  say nigger, Scout. That's  Scout to be presented as 
  common. ”  someone who is educated. 
9  Informal 
 
 
 
Page #85 

  Scout  “Nome, I man the folks  Logos  It shows that Scout wishes 
  on our street are old.  there were other kids on their 
  Jem and me’s the only  street 
10  children around here. 
  Mrs. Dubose is close on 
  to a hundred and Miss 
  Rachel’s old and so are 
Page #102  you and Atticus.” 
Informal 

  Atticus  “‘They’re certainly  Logos  This quote forwards the text by 
  entitled to think that,  telling the reader and Scout 
  and they’re entitled to  that Atticus would not have 
11  full respect for their  been able to live with himself if 
  opinions’ said Atticus,  he did not fight for the black 
  ‘but before I can live  man in court. 
  with other folks, I’ve got 
Page #120  to live with myself. The 
one thing that doesn’t 
abide by my rule is a 
person’s conscience.’” 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

Informal 

  Calpurnia  “‘I just can’t help it if  logos  This quote affects the situation 
  mister Jem’s growin’ up.  because it shows that Jem is 
  He’s gonna want to be  growing up and will not always 
12  off to himself a lot now,  want to do he things he used to 
  doin’ whatever boys do.’”  want to with Scout.  
 
 
Page #___ 

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

  Atticus  Either-Or  It let the reader know that in 

  the time the book took place, 
  that many people were 
  judged based on if they were 
  with blacks or against them   
 
 
Page 
#295 

  Atticus  Scare Tactics  When Atticus says that Tom 

  Robinson is not guilty but 
  someone in the room was, it 
  let the reader know that 
  Atticus believed that Tom 
Page  wasn’t guilty and also caused 
#271  more people to call Atticus a 
  “nigger-lover” 

  Mayella  Straw Man  It shows that Mayella was 

  trying to get into an 
  argument with Atticus when 
  Atticus calls her ma'am 
 
 
Page 
#207 

  Jem  Red Herring  Jem changed the subject in 

  order to distract Scout 
 
 
 
 
Page 
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  Miss Stephanie  Bandwagon  It shows the Miss Stephanie 

  Crawford  is following the crowd in 
  seeing the trial 
 
 
 
Page 
#____ 
 
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 # 

  Atticus  Nothing to fear but fear  an allusion to President Franklin 

  itself  D. Roosevelt's first Inaugural 
1  Address. 
 
 
 

  Atticus  The Crash  It tells the reader what is 

  happening and why times are 
2  getting harder 
 
 
 
 

  Jem  Indian-Heads  Before the Lincoln penny, there 

  were Indian-head pennies. 
 
4 
 
 

  Miss Maudie  Bellingraths  Miss Maudie is referring to 

  Walter and Bessie Bellingrath 
8  who, in 1932, opened their large, 
  beautiful gardens to the public. 
  The Bellingrath Gardens are 
  located in Mobile, Alabama. 
 

  Atticus  Mockingbirds  a North American bird known for 

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