Rhetoric Three-Way Street: Pathos

Pathos

Pathos - a rhetorical appeal in which the speaker manipulates emotion by targeting his or her audience’s values, desires, fears, or sense of humor. It is used to elicit a visceral response from an audience by tugging on their heartstrings and prompting them to feel something about a certain topic as opposed to simply thinking about it. This appeal typically involves the employment of figurative language, loaded words, anecdotes, and vivid imagery.

Visual Example

http://www.webdesigncore.com/2009/10/17/23-captivating-and-alarming-wwf-advertisements/

This advertisement from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) makes a brutally effective use of pathos as a rhetorical appeal. The image pointedly speaks to the audience’s sense of disgust in the idea of shooting to death an innocent little girl. In using this child to represent baby tigers, WWF strikes a deep emotional cord in the various people who constitute its audience, namely soon-to-be mothers and fathers, experienced parents, adolescents with younger siblings, children-lovers, and essentially anyone who is human enough to be horrified by the idea of intentionally murdering a child. The image is morbid as it provokes within viewers a profound sense of sorrow for the tragedy that will result from this crime. In using an innocent little girl in its advertisement, WWF makes a bold statement about how such a crime is synonymous to animal cruelty. It depicts the ruthless inhumanity with which mankind destroys animal species, thereby provoking viewers to think twice about the importance of such an issue. In using a human child, WWF forces human beings to view the concept of animal cruelty from a different perspective – one that allows them to see that killing an innocent animal is no more different nor justifiable than killing an innocent child. WWF builds a bridge between humans and animals that allows viewers to sympathize with the plight of voiceless animal species.

Textual Example No. 1

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards

Edwards, Jonathan. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God: A Sermon." Digital Commons @ University of

Nebraska. Electronic Texts in American Studies, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2013.

In his sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards employs a brutal appeal to pathos, using fear as a visceral weapon to curb people’s callous dispositions towards securing their salvations. Devoted to revitalizing the religious zeal that had once defined Puritanism, Edwards delivered this sermon with a compelling combination of loaded language, metaphors, and vivid imagery buttressed by the use of an altogether abrasive tone. He targeted Christians who had not been baptized in an uncompromising manner, graphically depicting God’s wrath and the ruthlessness with which He would damn to the pits of hell those who turned away from Him. Edwards manipulated the emotion of fear in his audience so as to tug on their heartstrings and catalyze within them a sense of urgency to secure their salvations. It is human nature to fear doom. Fear of doom is what motivates us to do what we must not to suffer. Edwards recognized this and emphasized the impending doom non-believers subjected themselves to when the turned away from God. In the end, he succeeded in making his audience feel the horror of their sinful state and awakened their spirits to accept Jesus as their savior.

Textual Example No. 2

President Obama Speech on 9.11 Anniversary

"President Obama Speech on 9/11 Anniversary: 'Let Us Honor Those Who Have Been Lost'" NY Daily News.

N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2013.

In his Presidential Address to the American people on the tenth anniversary of the 9.11 disaster, President Obama employs an effective use of pathos. First and foremost, he uses the pronouns “we,” “us,” and “our” to place emphasis on the fact that this burden is one that the Americans have carried and will continue to carry as one. In doing so, he builds a bridge between himself and his people, creating an emotional exchange in which Americans all across the United States and around the world can share in. Secondly, Obama takes advantage of this ineffaceable day in American history to reassert America’s strength as a resilient nation. He inspires pride in his people, reminding them of their identity and depicting the small building blocks of courage and heroism that continue to make America great today. Thirdly, he zooms into the life of a woman, whose irreplaceable losses after the disaster are representative of the thousands of other American families who suffered a similar, if not worst, fate. In doing so, Obama pulls on his audience’s heartstrings, stirring their sense of sympathy and flaring to life their emotive spirits. Moreover, in employing images of the bold firefighters and rescue workers, and in using loaded language to depict America’s strength and vigor, President Obama incites within his audience an intense emotional response, capturing the gravity of that historical day and grieving with his people while still effectively delivering a message to the global community that America’s resolve will not crumble. 

Rhetoric Three-Way Street: Logos

Logos

Logos - a rhetorical appeal in which the speaker attempts to persuade his or her audience through a logical presentation of arguments and evidence to support those arguments. Through this appeal, the speaker provokes his or her audience’s sense of logic by taking a clear position on a certain controversial topic and providing evidence such as quantitative data (i.e. charts, diagrams), statistics, facts, expert testimonies, case studies, and detailed examples to illustrate and support his or her position. In using logos, a speaker conducts in-depth research, makes broad connections, and challenges generalizations in order to effectively and compellingly deliver a message that will enlighten his or her audience.

Visual Example

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/unicef_dirty_bomb?size=_original

This UNICEF advertisement is an example of a visual text that effectively employs logos as a rhetorical appeal. The ad delivers a clear-cut message about the fatal hazards of polluted drinking water. It presents an image of exploding water that resembles the Hiroshima nuclear explosion in an attempt to depict the alarming dangers associated with polluted drinking water. UNICEF places the water bomb within the context of a nuclear bomb in order to emphasize the severity of this global issue and blatantly depict the liaison between mass death and contaminated drinking water. Next to the image is a statistic derived from the research conducted by UNICEF professionals in countries around the world. The statistic is a type of quantitative data that helps to illustrate the urgency of the issue of water sanitation in communities around the world. Through the statistic, UNICEF presents its audience with concrete evidence of the very grave and very real toll polluted water takes on impoverished societies. The soaring 1.5 million children who are killed every year at the hands of contaminated water threatens to skyrocket if the issue is not addressed immediately. In this ad, UNICEF delineates a clear, rational argument and supports it logically with the use of evidence.

Textual Example No. 1

"Declaration of Independence - Text Transcript." Declaration of Independence - Text Transcript. N.p., n.d.

Web. 21 Sept. 2013.

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is an ideal example of a text that effectively employs logos. Heavily rooted in rationalist ideals, this integral piece of American history marked the official separation of the American colonies from the British Crown. Through a logical approach, the colonists requested that all ties with the Motherland, Great Britain, be broken and proceeded to delineate evidence of why they were entitled to complete autonomy. In exposing the various ways in which the Crown laid upon them an oppressive hand of tyranny, the colonists effectively asserted their rights to have a voice in government and provided proof that their grievances were of sound reason. The colonists further appeal to logic in defining the various components of their argument – namely the ideals of equality, immutable rights, and a social contract between the government and the governed – that contribute to their sense that the time for separation has arrived. The appeal to logos in this text is strong as the audience can easily identify a central argument – entitlement to freedom from arbitrary rule – and the various reasons and examples that support this argument and make it rational.

Textual Example No. 2

Lifeboat Ethics by Garrett Hardin

Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Chapter 6: Community." The

Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. Second ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's,

2013. 365-68. Print.

In his article, Lifeboat Ethics, human ecologist Garret Hardin makes an effective use of logos to present an argument about the detriments of overpopulation in the global community. He supports his position in a number of unique ways. Firstly, Hardin illustrates the world and its countries through a metaphor of lifeboats, which he substantiates with facts about overpopulation that depict how lifeboat ethics transpire in the real world. In doing this, Hardin delineates his central argument that suffering in the world is caused by overpopulation and the unequal distribution of resources. He goes on to make projections about swelling reproduction rates and their inherent link to the creation of a wider gap between the rich and the poor. By employing the use of quantitative data, calculated projections, and metaphors, Hardin appeals greatly to logic. His argument is structured, clearly divided into several parts that explore how overpopulation is an issue and how spaceship sharing is not the solution to the world’s suffering. The combination of these various components make for a thorough and well-supported argument. By using his research and his accumulated knowledge as a human ecologist, Hardin succeeds in rationalizing his argument, presenting it in a logical manner, illustrating and supporting different areas of his position through details and examples, and finally drawing a conclusion that appeals to his audience’s sense of logic. 

Rhetoric Three-Way Street: Ethos

Ethos

Ethos - a rhetorical appeal in which the speaker demonstrates why he or she is a trustworthy spokesperson in a particular field of study. It is largely based on the credibility and the reputation of the speaker as determined by his or her expertise, knowledge, and experience in a certain profession. Ethos helps to build a bridge between the speaker and his or her audience by linking them through their shared values on specific topics. In using this appeal, a speaker essentially gives his or her audience a reason to listen to what he or she has to say.

Visual Example

http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/awareness/

This webpage from the American Lung Association (ALA) makes an effective use of visual ethos in establishing the credibility of the organization as a trustworthy institution. As the leading organization in the world working to build awareness and fight against lung cancer, ALA has existed and remained a dynamic force in the efforts against lung cancer for over 100 years, which it advertises in its page. The organization’s webpage contains various links through which users can educate themselves about lung cancer from articles and resources written by trusted experts in the field. Users can also refer to the website to contact real experts or to learn more about the types of outreach programs that ALA has designed to fight lung cancer. This webpage is effective because it is a reliable source of information on the topic of lung cancer. ALA is a legitimate institution whose century’s-worth of hard work and experience makes it reputable. Through this webpage, ALA succeeds in earning the trust of its audience as a credible organization, thereby giving the public a reason to turn to its webpage and, in larger terms, to the organization itself for information.

Textual Example No. 1

On “How to Improve Our Schools” by Diane Ravitch

Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Chapter 6: Community." The

Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. Second ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. 257-58. Print.

In the excerpt How to Improve Our Schools of her book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education, former Assistant Secretary of Education, Diane Ravitch, argues for the improvement of the public education system in the United States.  In making her statement, she delineates the various components that are involved in this restructure and challenges the national testing regime and its demolition of public education in the United States. She employs the use of the personal pronouns “we,” “us,” and “our” to create inclusive atmosphere that expresses the need for a cumulative effort in improving education in America. In doing so, she personalizes this excerpt of her novel, forging a tie between herself and the American members of her audience, emphasizing their shared values of creating well-rounded citizens through a good education system. Above all, however, Ravitch’s successful appeal to ethos is rooted in her reputation. As a former Assistant Secretary of Education and a current professor of education at New York University, this woman is an expert in the field of education and is, without a doubt, a credible speaker on the topic. Her professional achievements reflect her experience in education and incline her audience to take into consideration what she has to say. She is an authoritative figure in this line of research due to her expertise and secures the trust of her audience because of it.

Textual Example No. 2

The Evolutionary Social Psychology of Off-Record Indirect Speech Acts

Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Chapter 6: Community." The

Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. Second ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. 150-51. Print.

In his scholarly article The Evolutionary Social Psychology of Off-Record Indirect Speech Acts, Steven Pinker – a cognitive scientist and linguist – explores the concepts of indirect speech and politeness. He establishes strong ethos in two fundamental ways. Firstly, in stating his argument about positive and negative politeness, he cites the scholarly works of other cognitive scientists who have conducted research in his line of study. As opposed to summarizing the information he has gathered, however, he incorporates certain aspects of the research into his article so as to emphasize the key points of the breakthrough argument he is trying to make. In doing this, Pinker establishes a firm foundation for the credibility of his article as his extensive research demonstrates his in-depth investigation of various sides of the topic he is exploring. Secondly, Pinker, in and of himself, is a credible spokesperson as he is a legitimate cognitive scientist and an expert in the study of linguistics. His profession buttresses his credibility as it gives his audience a reason to listen to what he has to say. As a professional, he already stands on firm ground to investigate topics about indirect speech and then express his opinion on them. His reputation combined with his employment of other authoritative sources makes for an almost undeniable use of ethos.