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 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. 
 
 
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        This affected the situation because 

  Jem  “It’s just that I can’t think of    it encourages dill to Call Jem 
    way to make him come out  Logos   scared s that Jem would go up to 
    without him gettin’ us “  the house 
  Informal 
 
 
Page #_15 

2    ¨Your father does not know    This changed the situations 

  Miss Caroline   how to teach. You can have    because this makes Scout mad 
    a seat now.¨    from the doubt that Miss Caroline 
        has in her father, as well as making 
    Formal  Ethos  her feel insulted because she was 
Page #19     ahead of the other students and 
she was being put down because 
she wasn't learning the way Miss 
Caroline wanted her to 

3    ¨I´ve no intention of getting  Ethos   This affected the situation because 

  Atticus  rid of her, now or ever. We  it showed scout that she should 
    couldn´t operate a single  see Calpurnia as some sort of an 
    day without Cal, have you  authority figure and that without 
    ever thought of that¨  her whole household would be a 
    formal  mess 
Page #28 

4    “Nothin’ to it. I swear,  pathos  This affected the situation because 

    Scout, sometimes you act  Jem made scout upset because 
Page #42    so much like a girl it’s  she didn’t want to be like a girl 
Jem  mortifying” 
Formal 

5    “If he’s not he should be by  logos  His shows scout that there are 
    now. The things that  plenty of things, not one person will 
  Miss Maudie  happen to people we never  know unless they were in the house 
Page #51    really know. What happens  whenever it happened 
  in houses behind closed 
  doors” 
Formal 

  Scout   ¨A lickin´ hurts but it  Logos  This affected the situation because 
6    doesn´t last. You´ll get your  it shows that scout is scared for 
Page #63  head shot off Jem please¨  Jem and doesn´t want him to get 
Informal  hurt so she tries to discourage him 
from telling Atticus 
 

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 all right  Pathos  This affects the situation 

7    with you, I rather have  because it shows that Jem no 
  Jem  this one instead. MAybe  longer feels connected to his 
Page #68    I can fix it¨  grandfather´s watch 
Formal 

  Jem  ¨How can flowers keep  logos  This affects the situation 
8  warm? They don´t  because it shows that Jem 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

  circulate.¨  knows some basic knowledge, 

  Formal  so he was confused from MIss 
Page #74  Maudies comment about her 
flowers 

  Uncle Jack  “Well your in trouble.  ethos  This changes the situation 
9  Now stay there “  because scout wasn’t able to 
Page #96  Fromal  share her side of the story and 
uncle jack was being stern so 
scout did not defy him 

  Miss Maudie  “Well nothing. Nothing-it  pathos  This changes the situation 
  seems with all that you’d  because it shows that scout is 
  be proud of him.”  not proud of what Atticus can 
10    do instead of what he was able 
Page #104  Informal  to do before 

  Atticus  “She’s an old lady and  Logos  This change the situation 
  she’s ill. You just hold  because it shows Jem that he 
  your head high and be  can’t let other people get to 
11  gentlemen. Whatever  him  
  she says to you, it’s your 
  job not to let her make 
  you mad” 
Page #115  formal 

  Calpurnia  “I just can’t help if mister  logos  This changed the situation 
  Jem’s growin’ up. He’s  because it showed scout that 
  gonna want to be off to  she won’t always be really close 
12  himself a lot now, doin’  to her brother   
  whatever boys do, so 
  you just come right to 
  the kitchen when you 
Page# 132  feel lonesome” 
informal 

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

  Aunt Alexandra   ¨You´ve got to face it  Aunt Alexandra wants to get 
  sooner or later might as  rid of Calpurina but atticus 
  well be tonight¨  refused 
   
13   
  Black White/either or\ 
 
Page 
#153 

  Jem  ¨Mrs.Maudie can´t chew  Jem changed the subject to 

  gum--You know she can  distract scout 
7  talk pretty sometimes¨ 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

  Red herring 
 
Page #69 
 

  Miss Stephanie  “I thought I might just  Everyone was already going 

  look at the courthouse,  to the courthouse for the 
Chap  to see what Atticus’s is  trial 
16  up to” 
  Bandwagon 
Page 
#182 

  Skinny  “They c’n go loose and  People were using the fact 
Chap  Gentleman on  rape up the countryside  that Atticus was defending a 
14  the street  for all ‘em who run this  negro against him 
​Page  country care” 
#153  Hasty Generalization 
 

  Mayella Ewell  “Won’t answer a word as  She was trying to make an 
  long as you keep  agrument but atticus was 
Chap  mockin’ me”  just being polite 
18  Straw man 
 
​Page 
#206 
 
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  Scout   “If General Jackson  Peoples actions from the past 
1   hadn’t run the creeks  can affect things in the future 
Page 1  up the creek, Simon 
  Finch would have never 
  paddled up the 
  Alabama, and where 
would we be if he 
hadn’t?   

  Atticus  ¨shoot all the bluejays  This affected the tone because it 
  you want, if you can  showed that you shouldn´t kill 
  hit´em, but remember  something that doesn´t harm 
Chp 10  it´s a sin to kill a  you  
Pg 103  mockingbird 
 
 
 
As you read, stop and jot your notes in the charts on each page.

  Scout  ¨she kept a CSA pistol  This affects the tone because it 
Chp 11  concealed among her  makes the children scared of 
pg114  numerous shawls and  Mrs. Dubose   
  wraps¨  
 
 
 

  Scout  ¨Jem, armed with  His changes the tone because 

  Ivanhoe​ and Full of  jem was ready with his knowlege 
Chp11  superior knowledge, 
121  knocked at the second 
  door to the left¨ 
 
 
 

    ¨Mrs. Roosevelt´s lost  This affects the meaning 

  Mrs.  her mind¨  because it relates to the first 
  Merriweath lady and it changes the tone to 
  er   something more serious 
24 
Pg 267