Many writers use several diverse ways to persuade readers into believing them. Some writers may tell a story, provide facts and information, or other ideas to encourage his or her reader to agree with the argument. Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle describes three diverse appeals: logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos is based on facts and reasons explaining logical arguments that rely on information and evidence. Logos is built with enough evidence, data, statistics, and reliable information. Another type of appeal is pathos, which attracts the reader’s emotions and feelings into the work. Many writers who use pathos tend to write about their personal experience and by diction and tone. In addition to logos and pathos, ethos corresponds with character and value, which describes certain values with specific kinds of groups. Several writers tend to use the diverse appeals in a variety of ways. Two examples that rely on logos and pathos are, “One Picture is Worth a Thousand Diets,” by W. Charisse Goodman, and “The Good Death,” by .Marilyn Webb
The three diverse appeals are used in many different works of literature. Many writers use the appeal logos to explain an idea or for an effective argument. Logos is made up of facts and supporting details to back up the author’s claim. For instance, in the essay “One Picture is Worth a Thousand Diets,” Goodman uses logos to state his argument about fat women vs. thin women. Throughout the essay he uses statistics, critical numbers, and also facts with evidence. “An examination of almost 160 commercials-after that point, it was either stop or incinerate the TV set-contribute 120 ads featuring thin women exclusively, 27 ads depicting heavy males, mostly in a normal or positive light, and all of 12 heavy women, half of whom, interestingly, were either African-American, older, or both” (Goodman 408). The example illustrated above displays how Goodman used the logos appeal by providing the reader with exact numbers and information backed up with evidence. The information provided helps the reader appreciate the author in a respectable way and also builds trust in the author. The appeal allows the reader to connect with the essay and understand what the writer is trying to present. Using reliable information enables the reader the trust the writer and agrees with his or her idea. Furthermore, Goodman r...
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... their arguments. Each appeal focuses on a different subject or idea. Logos is based on facts and reason, pathos is based on emotions, and ethos is based on character. Writers tend to use the three diverse appeals to attract and encourage the reader to agree with the writer’s argument. For example, in the essay “One Picture is Worth a Thousand Diets,” Goodman uses logos to inform his audience about his ideas and research. On the other hand, in the essay “The Good Death,” Webb uses pathos for her readers to be able to interact and understand her work in detail. Furthermore, readers tend to be persuaded by writers that have a meaningful and influential essay with facts, opinions, emotions, values, and character. The diverse ideas enable the reader to interact with the writer, and help the reader understand the work to the fullest. In addition to interacting with the author, the different appeals also help the reader feel and gain trust in the author. The diverse appeals illustrate how people tend to react when the author has gained his or her trust. Many writers tend to use one of the three appeals to encourage his or her audience to understand and agree with his or her argument.
Effectively communicating an idea or opinion requires several language techniques. In his study of rhetoric, Aristotle found that persuasion was established through three fundamental tools. One is logos, which is used to support an argument through hard data and statistics. Another is ethos, which is the credibility of an author or speaker that allows an audience to conclude from background information and language selection a sense of knowledge and expertise of the person presenting the argument. The impact of pathos, however, is the most effective tool in persuasion due to the link between emotions and decisions. Although each of these tools can be effective individually, a combination of rhetorical devices when used appropriately has the ability to sway an audience toward the writer’s point of view.
In Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, pathos, logos and ethos are evidently and effectively used to persuade the audience into believing Caesar was not ambitious and that he was an innocent man. Throughout the speech the citizens were easily persuaded, but Anthony’s intellectual speeches made the audience question and imagine what they have turned into. Anthony used these three rhetorical appeals to win back the citizens just like many people do today. The power of pathos, logos and ethos in a speech can change one mind in an instant and if successfully used can change a mind to be fully persuaded without confusion.
Authors have many strategies when it comes to winning over their readers and on some occasions may even target their opponents, to make them look bad, in an attempt to make themselves look better. In the articles by Steve Greenberg and Michael Weinreb we will look at the way authors constrict articles to get readers to side with opinion by appealing to a person through logos, pathos, ethos, and the use of rhetorical devices. Greenberg use of a logical fallacy, using a rhetorical device against his friend, and his own use of rhetorical devices in order to convince reader through by ethos of how awful his friend and cardinal fans are, while Weinreb focuses on logos, a logical fallacy, and rhetorical devices to strengthen
discussed the rhetorical skills in the writing styles and analysis. The main components of this learning was to be able to differentiate and understand the ethos, logos, and pathos appeals associated with the particular feeling and help develop understanding. Using the ethos, logos, and pathos appeals the writers and speakers can convince their readers to some image or understanding regarding the group or association. Every one of us is associated with different discourse communities that have different specialties and meaning. Everyone must have to learn the ways the communities interact with their members and how the communities understand a person from outside the community. Being outside from the community there is need to learn regarding
In “The Myth of the Cave,” the man got to study the rest of the world while the other men were still chained up watching the shadows. He observed the sun and how it caused the seasons. Later, he went back down to the cave and tried to share what he had discovered with the other men but they laughed at him because he couldn’t see the shadows as well as they could. The only reason he couldn’t see the shadows was because he had been out of the cave and had been introduced to the sun. They thought that he had ruined his eyesight when in fact their eyesight has been in ruin all along. In Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Jonathan returns to his flock after having learned so much from Chiang. He too wanted to share what he had learned, but was also rejected. The Elder seagull told the flock to ignore him and that anyone who speaks to him is also an outcast. It says “Gray-feathered backs were turned upon Jonathan” (Jonathan Livingston
By appealing so much to pathos, his letter focuses more on emotionally convincing and persuading the reader to accept his claim, rather than providing facts and logic to his argument. His combined use of logos and ethos also adds an aspect of logic and reason to his argument, as well as further showing his credibility and connection to the subject as the author. His use of the three rhetorical devices helps to bolster and support his claim, while also personalizing and connecting with the
In “The Myth of the Cave,” Plato makes it very obvious that his character is released by saying “look again, and see what will naturally follow if the prisoners are released and disabused of their error” (1). Of course, he clearly states the plural form of the word prisoner in this statement. However, the philosopher later continues by describing only one prisoner being led out of the cave and discovering the sun; “and suppose once again he is reluctantly dragged . . . until he is forced of the presence of the sun” (Plato 2). Of course, the author is describing the actual sun in this statement, but one could recall the instances in which Jonathan’s story compares to those particular moments in this story. When the seagull is labeled as Outcast from his fellow flock of gulls, including his own parents, it is stated by many in unison as part of a shaming tradition that, “the brotherhood is broken” signaling his cue to disband from the covey (Bach 25). This moment that is inevitably forced into Jonathan’s life enables him to focus more on his endeavor of mastering the art of flight. He does so later in the story and begins to become a more advanced flier. Once he reaches a certain point, however, two unfamiliar gulls enter the tale and lead him to the sun. Richard Bach writes, “’we’re from your
The complicated nature surrounding Heathcliff’s motives again adds an additional degree of ambiguity to his character. This motivation is primarily driven by Catherine’s marriage to Edgar and past rejection of Heathcliff, since he was a servant whom Hindley disapproved of. Prior to storming out of Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff overhears Catherine say, “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now…” (Brontë 87). The obstacles that ultimately prevent Heathcliff from marrying Catherine provide insight into Heathcliff’s desire to bring harm to Edgar and Hindley. The two men play prominent roles in the debacle, Edgar as the new husband and Hindley as the head figure who refused Heathcliff access to Catherine. Following this incident, Catherine says, “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same…” (Brontë 87). Catherine’s sentiment indicates she truly would rather be with Heathcliff, but the actions of others have influenced her monumental decision to marry Edgar. Furthermore, Heathcliff is motivated to not only ruin Edgar’s livelihood, but also gain ownership of his estate, Thrushcross Grange. This becomes clear when Heathcliff attempts to use Isabella
Galbraith sees conventional wisdom as “simple, convenient, comfortable, and comforting-though not necessarily true” (Levitt and Dubner, 86). Conventional wisdom is used as a means to understanding the world and make one’s ideals seem reasonable. This conventional wisdom is used by experts, advertisers, police men, and your next door neighbor; how they use it differs depending on their own self-interests.
Catherine Earnshaw appears to be a woman who is free spirited. However, Catherine is also quite self-centered. She clearly states that her love for Edgar Linton does not match how much she loves Heathcliff. She is saying that she does love both, and she is unwilling to give one up for the other; she wants “Heathcliff for her friend”. Catherine admits that her love for Linton is “like the foliage in the woods”; however, her love for Heathcliff “resembles the eternal rocks beneath”. She loves Heathcliff and yet she gives him up and marries Linton instead, Catherine believes that if she marries Heathcliff it would degrade and humiliate her socially.
Plato makes it clear that the freed prisoner would “endure anything, rather than think as they [the prisoners] do and live after their manner” (3). In a parallel passage, Bach tells that Jonathan enjoyed the higher plane of existence because instead of being surrounded by hostile gulls, in the higher plane there were “gulls who thought as he thought” (43). However, though they are more comfortable in their disinterested state, they also feel pity for the ones who do not understand as they do. Plato tells that the freed prisoner “remembered his old habitation, and the wisdom of the den and his fellow-prisoners”and pitied those still living in the ignorance of the cave (2). Also, Bach says that Jonathan’s one regret in his exile was that “the other gulls refused to believe the glory of flight that awaited them” (25). Because of this commiseration, both Jonathan and the freed prisoner return to the discomforts of ordinary life in order to guide and teach those who are less knowledgeable. Plato emphasizes that the philosophers who the freed prisoner represents must not “remain in the upper world” but must “descend again among the prisoners in the den, and partake of their labours” (5). Likewise, Jonathan Seagull leaves his higher plane of existence to instruct
Catherine is trapped between her love of Heathcliff and her love for Edgar, setting the two men down a path of destruction, a whirlwind of anger and resentment that Catherine gets caught in the middle of. Catherine is drawn to Heathcliff because of his fiery personality, their raw attraction and one certainly gets the sense that they are drawn together on a deeper level, that perhaps they are soulmates. C. Day Lewis thought so, when he declared that Heathcliff and Catherine "represent the essential isolation of the soul...two halves of a single soul–forever sundered and struggling to unite." This certainly seems to be backed up in the novel when Catherine exclaims “Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind--not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being...” This shows clearly the struggle Catherine feels as she is drawn spiritually to Heathcliff, but also to Edgar for very different reasons. Edgar attracts Catherine predominantly because he is of the right social class. Catherine finds him "handsome, and pleasant to be with," but her feelings for him seem petty when compared to the ones she harbours...
During the first half of the book, Catherine showed different types of love for two different people. Her love for Heathcliff was her everything, it was her identity to love and live for Heathcliff but as soon as she found out how society views Heathcliff, she sacrificed their love and married Edgar Linton in the hopes of saving Heathcliff from Hindley and protecting him from the eyes of society. In her conversation with Nelly, Cathy who professed her love for Heathcliff quoted “My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning: my great thought in living is himself.” Catherine proved Nelly Dean that the only person who can make her feel pain and sorrow is Heathcliff. The extent of her love was uncovered when she sang her praise of “I am Heathcliff” because this was the turning point in the book that allowed the readers to truly understand and see the depth of Cathy's love for Heathcliff. On the other hand, Catherine's love for Edgar wasn't natural because it was a love that she taught herself to feel. It might have come unknowingly to Cathy but she did love Edgar as she said “My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees.” Cathy knew that it was not impossible to love Edgar for he was a sweet and kind gentleman who showed her the world but unlike ...
...he power to depart, as much as a cat possesses the power to leave a mouse half killed, or a bird half eaten” a window motif can be seen here, as Edgar has been pushed on the outside of Wuthering Heights while Cathy remains inside her home. A change is signalled in that Edgar is likely to ask Cathy to marry him, for her cannot take his eyes off her or leave her side for one second. The plosives ‘possessed…power’ emphasise the choice that Edgar has to go back to the Grange or stay with the girl he loves, and the simile ‘as much as a cat possesses the power to leave a mouse half killed’ shows Brontë making a comparison to emphasise that Edgar would rather stay with Cathy even though she has just hit him moments early in a flurry of passion, this also shows that Edgar is easily swayed to make decisions without much persistence or effort from anyone.
Wuthering Heights is a novel which deviates from the standard of Victorian literature. The novels of the Victorian Era were often works of social criticism. They generally had a moral purpose and promoted ideals of love and brotherhood. Wuthering Heights is more of a Victorian Gothic novel; it contains passion, violence, and supernatural elements (Mitchell 119). The world of Wuthering Heights seems to be a world without morals. In Wuthering Heights, Brontë does not idealize love; she presents it realistically, with all its faults and merits. She shows that love is a powerful force which can be destructive or redemptive. Heathcliff has an all-consuming passion for Catherine. When she chooses to marry Edgar, his spurned love turns into a destructive force, motivating him to enact revenge and wreak misery. The power of Heathcliff’s destructive love is conquered by the influence of another kind of love. Young Cathy’s love for Hareton is a redemptive force. It is her love that brings an end to the reign of Heathcliff.