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Motifs
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
Part 2, Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Cruelest Thing:
In this passage, Larsen combines pathos and situational irony to highlight Clare’s and Irene’s contrasting views on motherhood. Clare tells Irene that nothing could be worse than being a mother, a viewpoint that Irene cannot understand:
Clare’s face took on a startled look, as though she were totally unprepared for this new weapon with which Irene had assailed her. Seconds passed, during which she sat with stricken eyes and compressed lips. 'I think,' she said at last, 'that being a mother is the cruellest thing in the world.' Her clasped hands swayed forward and back again, and her scarlet mouth trembled irrepressibly.
Related Themes:
