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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
Act 1
Explanation and Analysis—Live a Little Longer:
In Act 1, Maggie uses pathos to explain the decision behind not telling Big Daddy and Big Mama about the former's cancer:
MARGARET: But tonight they're going to tell her the truth about it. When Big Daddy goes to bed, they're going to tell her that he is dying of cancer.
[She slams the dresser drawer.]
—It's malignant and it's terminal.
BRICK: Does Big Daddy know it?
MARGARET: Hell, do they ever know it? Nobody says, "You're dying." You have to fool them. They have to fool themselves.
BRICK: Why?
MARGARET: Why? Because most human beings dream of life everlasting, that's the reason! But most of them want it on earth and not in heaven.
Related Themes:
