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Motifs
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
Part 7: The Sound of Sirens
Explanation and Analysis—Degrees of Pity:
In Part 7: The Sound of Sirens, the residents of Himmel Street take shelter, terrified during what they believe is their first air raid. Zusak uses pathos to argue for a nuanced kind of sympathy toward many of the people caught up in World War II:
As is often the case with humans, when I read about them in the book thief’s words, I pitied them, though not as much as I felt for the ones I scooped up from various camps in that time. The Germans in basements were pitiable, surely, but at least they had a chance. That basement was not a washroom. They were not sent there for a shower. For those people, life was still achievable.
Whereas many historical fiction books about Nazi Germany focus on Jewish characters and their experience of persecution, The Book Thief focuses on the poor Germans Hitler claimed to represent. Max is an important Jewish character, but he is just one part of Liesel's story about life on Himmel Street. In this passage, Zusak (via Death) takes a moment to distinguish between the basement bomb shelter and the horrifying concentration camp "washrooms" where millions of people, mostly Jewish, were killed. These "washrooms" were actually gas chambers, and being sent to one meant there was no more hiding or fighting to be done: life was no longer "achievable." This aside reminds the reader of how much more suffering is going on outside the pages of Liesel's story. It would not be appropriate, the passage suggests, to feel the same amount of pity for the people who have to shelter from bombs as for the people sent into a room expressly for the purpose of being murdered.
By acknowledging the incomparable trauma that took place in concentration camps, Zusak makes room for the trauma on Himmel Street to matter also. To hide in a neighbor's basement and wait to find out if the entire street has been flattened is undoubtedly a harrowing experience, even if it is not as harrowing as some other experiences. What is especially remarkable is that this traumatic experience belongs to people whose rights Hitler claimed to represent. Zusak uses pathos in this passage and other to shed light on how totalitarian rule eventually strips everyone of safety and other basic human rights.
Related Themes:
