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Oxymorons
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
Key Examples in Homegoing
Part 1: Kojo
Explanation and Analysis—The Only One I Got:
Kojo’s sorrows only multiply on that fatal day when slave catchers visit. After Anna disappears one afternoon, he scours Baltimore for her and runs into trouble on the streets. A White woman hails the police, who confront Jo for potential harassment and humiliate him, in a moment filled with pathos:
Jo shook his head. He'd almost lost the picture once that day and didn't know what he would do if he lost it again. "Please, sir. It's the only one I got."
Then Jo heard the sound of paper tearing. He looked up to see Anna's nose and ears and strands of hair, the shredded bits of paper flying off in the wind.
Related Themes:
Part 2: Willie
Explanation and Analysis—It Was Robert:
For Willie, an afternoon walk through Harlem becomes a sudden source of pathos when she crosses paths with her ex-lover on the street. While standing with Sonny at a crosswalk, Willie glimpses Rob on the other side:
Unlock with LitCharts A+It was Robert. He was bent down on one knee, tying the shoe of a little boy of maybe three or four. A woman was holding the little boy's hand on the other side of him. The woman had finger-curled blond hair cut short so that the longest strands just barely licked the tip of her chin. Robert stood back up. He kissed the woman, the little boy smushed between them for only a moment. Then Robert looked up and across the intersection. Willie's eyes met his.
Related Themes:
