Definition of Ethos
As matriarch of the Buendía family and one of the founding members of Macondo, Úrsula wields the rhetorical tool of ethos in her attempt to convince the revolutionary tribunal to spare the life of General Moncada, interim leader of the city during a period of the Civil War:
Úrsula was the last in line. Her gloomy dignity, the weight of her name, the convincing vehemence of her declaration made the scale of justice hesitate for a moment. “You have taken this horrible game very seriously and you have done well because you are doing your duty,” she told the members of the court. “But don’t forget that as long as God gives us life we will still be mothers and no matter how revolutionary you may be, we have the right to pull down your pants and give you a whipping at the first sign of disrespect.”