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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 3
Explanation and Analysis—Only One Sin:
Baba is a man of extreme and unbending moral ideas. When he explains how serious he thinks the sin of theft is to a young Amir, Baba uses pathos to appeal to Amir’s emotions and hyperbole to stress just how unforgivable theft is:
[T]here is only one sin, only one [...]. When you kill a man, you steal a life,” Baba said. “You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. Do you see?
In this passage Baba is saying that every sin is basically theft. His use of pathos is intended to draw directly on Amir’s sense of empathy and guilt, making him understand and remember this argument. Baba frames each example of “theft” as a devastating personal loss, whether it’s a wife losing a husband, a child losing a father, or a person losing the truth or fairness they deserve in a moment of injustice. These examples push Amir to imagine the emotional harm that wrongdoing between one person and another causes. Baba’s words appeal to Amir’s childish sense of morality by connecting wrongdoing with harming others, rather than with breaking rules.
The hyperbole of calling theft the “only sin” exaggerates the claim Baba is making. Baba expands the definition of “theft” to cover every major moral wrong to persuade Amir that all harm stems from taking what does not belong to you. This sweeping argument exaggerates the damage caused by any lie or betrayal. To Baba there is no nuance; theft is the worst thing a person can do. In this worldview, theft is not just one wrong among many—it's the root of all sin.
Related Themes:
