Atticus’ Closing Remarks Essay

Maycomb, Alabama, is a lethargic Southern town facing a crisis. Tom Robinson, a young black man accused of raping a white woman, will be judged by a court whose deep-rooted racism impels them to avert their eyes from the truth. Atticus Finch fights a judicial battle against all odds to free the wrongly accused Tom Robinson. Set in the 1930s, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a story of a young girl growing up in the fictitious town of Maycomb. Through her character Atticus, Harper Lee implores the jury of the Maycomb court in a compelling closing argument ingeniously crafted with rhetorical devices and appeals. Atticus employs logos, verbal irony, and repetition in a last ditch effort to prove Tom Robinson’s innocence and “restore the defendant to his family” (275).

Right off the bat, Atticus begins his argument by spelling out the facts and reasoning throughout the speech. Utilizing logos to discredit the claims of the plaintiffs Bob Ewell and his daughter Mayella, the victim, Atticus installs doubt that the crime Tom Robinson allegedly commits has ever occurs. To achieve this, he first informs the jury that “the state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place” (271). Atticus points out that there is no medical data to confirm that Mayella was ever raped, and by reason there are qualms as to whether or not Tom Robinson ever sexually assaulted her. By identifying the unmistakable, Atticus appeals to logos, or logic. The jury is lead to see the case sensibly as a result of his message, and can share the same doubts that Atticus has towards the prosecutor’s complaints. By the same token, he exposes the misdeeds of the assumed victim, Mayella Ewell, as well as her intent for denouncing the defendant. Mayella offends “a rigid and time-honored code of [their] society”, and to “destroy evidence of her offence”, she “tried to put the evidence of her offense away from her” (272). She “tempted a Negro”, despite being white—“Not an old Uncle, but a strong young Negro man” (272). Atticus asserts that the Tom Robinson standing before them is young, kind, and even attractive; it would not be extreme to say that Mayella, a poor “victim of cruel poverty and ignorance”, to fall for him (272). Consequently, this leads to Mayella’s pursuit of Tom Robinson, despite knowing how her actions go against the social norms. The moment she realizes the severity of her faults, she decides, like anyone in her situation, that she has to be rid of him, the “evidence of her offense” (272). Atticus leads the jury to this conclusion with the evidence before their eyes as well as Mayella’s performance on the witness stand. Using logos, he provides solid evidence, prompting the jury to see past their beliefs and see the case as it really is.

As Atticus’ speech proceeds, his tone deviates from logical to accusatory—introducing the aspect of verbal irony. By saying something that contradicts or opposes his purpose, he draws attention to certain truths that support his intent. In Atticus’ retelling of Bob Ewell’s involvement with the case, he describes him as a “God-fearing, persevering, respectable white man” (272). Atticus states that Bob Ewell is a honest, upright white man just like anyone in the jury. That statement, at a glance, may come off as flattery, but Bob Ewell is anything but decent. Bob Ewell is notorious for his constant crapulence, his child neglect, and uncivilized presentation of himself. With this description, Atticus uses verbal irony, bringing the jury members to bear in mind that Bob Ewell is not of moral character, and there is real possibility that this man’s testimony is undependable. Through the subtle assassination of Bob Ewell’s character, Atticus puts Bob Ewell under suspicion. By shifting the charges to another, Atticus supports his desire to prove Tom Robinson innocent. In contrast, Atticus’ portrayal of the defendant puts Tom Robinson in a favorable position in the eyes of the jury. Tom Robinson is the “quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to ‘feel sorry’ for a white woman” (273). Previously, Tom Robinson declaration that he “felt right sorry for [Mayella]”, a casualty of neglect and violation, is received badly by the jury as Tom’s statement suggests that he is in a better position than Mayella, a white person (264). Due to the racist values at the time, his words were considered distasteful and scandalous. Atticus justifies Tom’s states in this segment, that Tom’s words were out of “unmitigated temerity”, or unqualified audacity (273). By calling Tom presumptuous, Atticus instead indicates that