The Grapes of Wrath
by John Steinbeck

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The Grapes of Wrath: Logos 1 key example

Definition of Logos

Logos, along with ethos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Logos is an argument that appeals to... read full definition
Logos, along with ethos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Logos is... read full definition
Logos, along with ethos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective... read full definition

Key Examples in The Grapes of Wrath

Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—Swift Replacement:

Throughout The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck presents snippets of conversation between unnamed speakers who represent different classes or groups within American society. In one such conversation, a male speaker who represents the tractor drivers uses logos in an argument with another male speaker, who represents the tenant-farmers who have been displaced by the tractors: 

“I built it with my hands. Straightened old nails to put the sheathing on. Rafters are wired to the stringers with baling wire. It’s mine. I built it. You bump it down—I’ll be in the window with a rifle. You even come too close and I’ll pot you like a rabbit.’’ 

“It’s not me. There’s nothing I can do. I’ll lose my job if I don’t do it. And look—suppose you kill me? They’ll just hang you, but long before you’re hung there’ll be another guy on the tractor, and he’ll bump the house down. You’re not killing the right guy.’’