The Time Machine
by H. G. Wells

The Time Machine: Ethos 1 key example

Definition of Ethos

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

Key Examples in The Time Machine

Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Scientist's Authority:

The author uses ethos, or the appeal to authority, to establish the credibility and authority of the Time Traveller as a narrator and a scientist. Throughout the story, the Time Traveller is portrayed as a man of science and reason who is driven by a desire to understand the world around him.  He is described as having a deep understanding of the scientific concepts behind time travel, and he uses this knowledge to explain his experiences to the other characters and to readers. This establishes him as a credible and authoritative narrator—one who is able to provide a scientific and rational explanation of the world he encounters.

Wells also draws on the authority of science itself to fortify the concept of time travel: 

'Scientific people,’ proceeded the Time Traveller, after the pause required for the proper assimilation of this, ‘know very well that Time is only a kind of Space.'