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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
Key Examples in The Life of Olaudah Equiano
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Middle Passage Horrors:
In Chapter 2, Equiano describes his kidnapping and transport across the Middle Passage. He uses imagery to build pathos, convincing readers that conditions in the Middle Passage are physically and emotionally unbearable:
The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, being so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a sickness among the slaves, of which many died, thus falling victims to the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers.
Related Themes:
Chapter 6
Explanation and Analysis—Constant Alarm:
In Chapter 6, Equiano witnesses the kidnapping and enslavement of Joseph Clipson, a Black man who has a certificate stating that he was born free. The scene creates pathos, which Equiano then spins into logos to persuade his readers that slavery must be abolished even for the sake of people who are free:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Hitherto I had thought only slavery dreadful; but the state of a free negro appeared to me now equally so at least, and in some respects even worse; for they live in constant alarm for their liberty, which is but nominal; and they are universally insulted and plundered without the possibility of redress; such being the equity of the West-Indian laws, that no free negro’s evidence will be admitted in their courts of justice.
Related Themes:
