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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 10
Explanation and Analysis—Grandma Dying:
For Saul, the blizzard in Chapter 10 turns a brief pit stop into a devastating detour. For Naomi, it leads to a tragic—if literal—dead-end. Seeking shelter from the snows, they rest at the Minaki train depot in what neither realizes will be a point of parting. This is an instance of pathos, or an appeal to the reader's emotions:
"We'll rest a minute," she wheezed. "Then we'll find Minoose."
I tucked my head in against her chest. She held me and we lay there in the darkness shivering. I could feel her tremble. Wrapped in the cracked canvas of an old tent, I huddled in the arms of the old woman and felt the cold freeze her in place. I understood that she had left me and I lay there crying against the empty drum of her chest.
Related Themes:
Chapter 49
Explanation and Analysis—Rising Revulsion:
Chapter 49 unspools a tangle of emotions as Saul returns to the scorched ruins of St. Jerome’s. During his trip to White River, he tugs at his layers of memories until the ugly truth comes spilling out in an instance of pathos (an appeal to the reader's emotions):
Unlock with LitCharts A+I felt revulsion rise in me. My throat was parched. Rage was a wild heat that rose out of the base of my spine and through my belly, and I punched those rotting boards until my knuckles were raw, the tears erupting out of me. I fell to the ground and buried my head in my arms. I had run to the game. Run to it and embraced it, done anything that would allow me to get to that avenue of escape.
Related Themes:
