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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
Volume 1, Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Corpse of his Hope:
In this passage from Lady Audley's Secret, the author digs into Sir Michael's emotional turmoil upon recognizing that Lucy cannot and does not truly love him. In order to do so, Braddon deploys a simile comparing his heart to a corpse, appealing to the reader’s sense of pathos:
He walked straight out of the house, this foolish old man, because there was some strong emotion at work in his breast—neither joy nor triumph, but something almost akin to disappointment—some stifled and unsatisfied longing which lay heavy and dull at his heart, as if he had carried a corpse in his bosom. He carried the corpse of that hope which had died at the sound of Lucy's words.
Related Themes:
Volume 1, Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—Stale Tobacco:
When George and Robert go to Ventnor to investigate the mystery of George's wife, the narrator employs the sensory languages of smell and sight and appeals to the reader’s sense of pathos. This brings the scene of Captain Maldon's impoverished cabin to life for Braddon's audience and gives them some context about the circumstances from which Lucy came:
Unlock with LitCharts A+George mechanically followed his friend into the little front parlor—dusty, shabbily furnished, and disorderly, with a child's broken toys scattered on the floor, and the scent of stale tobacco hanging about the muslin window-curtains.
Related Themes:
