Previous
Mood
Definition of Pathos
Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Pathos is an argument that appeals to... read full definition
Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Pathos is... read full definition
Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective... read full definition
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—My Early Home:
Black Beauty contains a great many appeals to pathos, which begin right at its outset. When Black Beauty recalls moments with his mother, for example, the author is appealing to the reader’s emotions directly:
I have never forgotten my mother’s advice; I knew she was a wise old horse, and our master thought a great deal of her. Her name was Duchess, but he often called her Pet. Our master was a good, kind man [...] and my mother loved him very much.
Related Themes:
Chapter 34
Explanation and Analysis—Captain's Tale:
The old ex-warhorse Captain tells Black Beauty about the horrors of war and the death of his owner. He invokes the reader’s sense of pathos, and uses strong visual and tactile imagery to make the scene come to life:
Unlock with LitCharts A+‘My master, my dear master, was cheering on his comrades with his right arm raised on high, when one of the balls, whizzing close to my head, struck him. I felt him stagger with the shock, though he uttered no cry [...] I wanted to keep my place by his side, and not leave him under that rush of horses’ feet, but it was in vain; and now, without a master or a friend, I was alone on that great slaughter ground; then fear took hold of me, and I trembled as I had never trembled before; and I too, as I had seen other horses do, tried to join in the ranks and gallop with them; but I was beaten off by the swords of the soldiers.'
Related Themes:
