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Paradox
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 4
Explanation and Analysis—Poor Amy:
After three-year-old Amy Dunn sets a fire in Chapter 4, Lauren reflects on the tragedy of little Amy's life and uses pathos (an appeal to emotion) in her narration:
Poor little Amy Dunn. No one cares about her. Her family feeds her and, now and then, cleans her up, but they don't love her or even like her. Her mother Tracy is only a year older than I am [...] She was 12 when her 27-year-old uncle who had been raping her for years managed to make her pregnant [...] I don't think she'll ever be pretty.
Lauren's narration here appeals to the reader's emotion, an example of pathos. She is capable of persuading the audience to feel empathy for Amy and her mother, Tracy, by highlighting key details of their lives as especially tragic: that no one cares about Amy, that Tracy was raped by her uncle at age 12, and that both Amy and Tracy are physically unattractive.
The fact that Lauren is able to recognize these tragic details makes her seem emotionally intelligent to the audience and thus persuasive. Her persuasiveness makes her increasingly compelling as a narrator, which is crucial, considering the fact that the entire novel is written from her perspective. This skill also proves useful when she later makes her journey north and meets potential converts to Earthseed.
Related Themes:
