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Dramatic Irony
Definition of Ethos
Ethos, along with logos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Ethos is an argument that appeals to... read full definition
Ethos, along with logos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Ethos is... read full definition
Ethos, along with logos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective... read full definition
Chapter 2: Stand
Explanation and Analysis—Police Encounter:
In Chapter 2, Stevenson recalls a police encounter he had shortly after moving into a nice neighborhood in Alabama. He describes how he used ethos to persuade the officers not to shoot him, and he worries that others may not be able to do the same:
I was a twenty-eight-year-old lawyer who had worked on police misconduct cases. I had the judgment to speak calmly to the officer when he threatened to shoot me. When I thought about what I would have done when I was sixteen years old or nineteen or even twenty-four, I was scared to realize that I might have run. The more I thought about it, the more concerned I became about all the young black boys and men in that neighborhood. Did they know not to run? Did they know to stay calm and say, “It’s okay”?
Related Themes:
Chapter 13: Recovery
Explanation and Analysis—Southern Charm:
Stevenson avoids making the book all about the discrimination he faces as a Black lawyer in Alabama, but he is constantly aware of how race and class play into his and others' ethos in and out of court. In Chapter 13, he briefly introduces a White Southern foil for himself:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Rob McDuff, an old friend of mine from Jackson, Mississippi, agreed to join our team for the civil litigation. Rob is a white native Mississippian whose Southern charm and manner enhanced his outstanding litigation skills in Alabama courts.
Related Themes:
