Description
- Due Thursday by 11:59pm
- Points 25
- Submitting a file upload
- Available Feb 24 at 12am - Mar 2 at 11:59pm
WARNING: In this video, I use "The New Jim Crow," as an EXAMPLE---to teach you how to analyze and evaluate "How Immigrants Become Other."
Do NOT use "The New Jim Crow" or you will receive ZERO points.
Recorded Lecture on Pathos: 18 minutesLinks to an external site.
Outline of Lecture
- Review the paragraph outline
- Lecture on Pathos
- Consideration of Michelle Alexander's emotional appeals
- Protocol for paragraph 5
- Sample paragraph 5
Assignment: Upload your developing essay---it must have:
- Introductory paragraph
- Kairos/Rhetorical Situation paragraph
- Ethos paragraph
- Logos paragraph
- Pathos paragraph
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What Is Pathos in Rhetoric?
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What is rhetoric?
Rhetoric is the art of persuasion and effective communication. It is the art and study of using language and other means of communication to influence, persuade, or inform an audience. The term "rhetoric" can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it played a vital role in the education and political systems of the time.
In its essence, rhetoric encompasses various techniques and strategies employed to create and deliver compelling speeches or written compositions--such as arguments. These techniques used by authors involve the skillful use of language as well as persuasive appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos.
What is pathos? Or the appeal to the emotions?
Pathos--the appeal to the emotions; let's review the range of human emotions.
Emotions include
| disgust | admiration | fear |
| wonder | indignation | sympathy |
| anger | sadness | anxiety |
| pity | joy | hope |
| despair | optimism | horror |
Emotions and Values
We need to keep in mind that people's emotions are tied to or anchored to values they hold. Commonly held American values that people have strong feelings about include:
- patriotism (loyalty to country)
- progress
- equality
- Individualism, independence and privacy
- achievement and action
- competition and free enterprise
- practicality
- materialism
- egalitarianism
- human dignity--the dignity of the individual
- freedom
Pathos
Pathos refers to sections of an argument that aim to evoke an emotional response in the readers in order to persuade them towards a particular point of view or action. There are parts of an parts of an argument that are meant to appeal to human emotions such as sympathy, empathy, anger, fear, joy, or love. By tapping into these emotions, writers can establish a deeper connection with their audience, making their argument more relatable and compelling.
The effective use of pathos involves employing various techniques such as
- vivid storytelling,
- powerful imagery,
- personal anecdotes,
- passionate language,
- and the skillful selection of words that elicit specific emotions.
The goal is to evoke an emotional reaction that resonates with the audience and influences their attitudes, beliefs, or actions.
How do we analyze an author's emotional appeals?
To analyze and evaluate pathos in Alexander's essay "The New Jim Crow" we should ask the following questions:
- Does she offer anecdotes? What are these stories about?
- Does she offer vivid images?
- Does she use specific words that have strong connotations?
One last thing--there are sentence templates you should use to discuss emotional appeals. Here are some:
- This passage elicits ______________ and taps in to the reader's value and belief in ______________
- This anecdote evokes feelings of ______________________ and speaks to the readers' belief in ______________
- This image is designed to activate the emotions of ________________ and assume that readers value _______________
Here is an example using an image.
This image evokes feelings of wonder and adventure in the viewer and tap into the viewer's belief in the future, progress, and science.
Evaluation of Logos
| Anecdote | Alexander appeals to the emotions when she writes, "It was no ordinary Sunday morning when presidential candidate Barack Obama stepped to the podium at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago. It was Father’s Day. Hundreds of enthusiastic congregants packed the pews at the overwhelmingly black church eager to hear what the first black Democratic nominee for president of the United States had to say" (21). | Here, we see Alexander attempting to evoke the emotions of admiration, hope, and optimism with the image of the young charismatic Barack Obama who was running for president. The anecdote taps in the the readers American values such as the belief in equal opportunity and progress; yes, indeed, a black citizen could run for president and win for the first time in history. This is a powerful way to start her argument which will focus on black men who do not get treated equally and who end up in prison instead of the White House. |
| Word Choice | Alexander also appeals to the emotions with her word choices in this passage: "The mass incarceration of people of color is a big part of the reason that a black child born today is less likely to be raised by both parents than a black child born during slavery" (24) | Here, Alexander use of the words "child" and "slavery" elicit the emotions of indignation and anger. She assumes most readers will emotionally react this way because of their beliefs in family unity for the sake of children and their rejection of slavery which is an affront to the American value of freedom. |
| Imagery | Alexander writes, "One theorist, Iris Marion Young, relying on a famous “birdcage” metaphor, explains it this way: If one thinks about racism by examining only one wire of the cage, or one form of disadvantage, it is difficult to understand how and why the bird is trapped. Only a large number of wires arranged in a specific way, and connected to one another, serve to enclose the bird and to ensure that it cannot escape" (27). | Here, the equating imprisoned Black adult men to birds in "birdcages" evokes feelings of indignation and injustice and taps into the readers values of freedom and equal treatment by the law. It also evokes the emotion of sympathy and pity for Black inmates who are treated less than human as this analogy suggests. |
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Protocol for Paragraph 5 on Pathos
Paragraph 5: Discuss Pathos |
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Sample Paragraph on Pathos
In terms of emotional appeals and Alexander uses this appeal responsibly. The crisis of large numbers of black men in jail elicits many emotions. Although she does not share one single story of a Black man in prison, she does appeal to the emotions in other ways. Alexander makes an emotional appeal with an anecdote of Barack Obama: "It was no ordinary Sunday morning when presidential candidate Barack Obama stepped on to the podium at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago" (22).Here, Alexander appeals to the feelings of admiration and exultation among liberal readers who voted for Obama and who feel proud to have contributed to the election of the first black president with their votes in the national election. These feelings are attached to the common values of equal opportunity and individual success.Alexander also appeals to the emotions with her word choices in this passage: "The mass incarceration of people of color is a big part of the reason that a black child born today is less likely to be raised by both parents than a black child born during slavery" (24) Here, Alexander use of the words "child" and "slavery" elicit the emotions of indignation and anger. She assumes most readers will emotionally react this way because of their beliefs in family unity for the sake of children and their rejection of slavery which is an affront to the American value of freedom. Finally, Alexander also appeals to the emotions when she uses the "birdcage metaphor" (27). She writes, "In the system of mass incarceration a wide variety of laws institutions and practices trap African Americans in a virtual and literal cage" (27). This metaphor is designed to elicit the emotions of indignation, anger, and pity. The image of blacks being trapped elicits the feeling of indignation and it appeals to the common values of justice and equality. It also elicits anger at the system that makes it possible.
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
1
How Immigrants Become Other.
Your name
Instructor's name
Course Name and Code.
Date of submission.
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Pathos.
Suárez-Orozco and Suárez-Orozco use pathos to appeal to the reader’s emotions when
referring to the dehumanization victims of immigrants. Pathos is an appeal to people’s
emotions, creating sympathy, anger, or fear to convince the audience by using common ground
and emotional attraction. While the...
