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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
Ethos
Explanation and Analysis—Famous Writers:
Through the voice of her narrator, Woolf alludes to a plethora of famous writers and works of literature not only to directly comment on them, but also to display her credentials as an intellectual. In order to be a great writer, one must be well-read, capable of engaging in active and ongoing discourse with both one's peers and society at large. One manner of engaging in literary discourse is through allusion and direct reference, both to contemporary and historical written works. While Woolf does not include allusions simply for the purpose of appearing "well-read," the frequency with which she references other writers nonetheless contributes to her ethos as an author.
Note the density of allusion in A Room of One's Own in the first three chapters alone. In Chapter 1, Woolf alludes to or directly references Christina Rosetti, Tennyson, Jane Austen, Fanny Burney, George Eliot, Thackerey, Charles Lamb, John Milton, and several others. In Chapter 2, Woolf alludes to or directly references Samuel Butler, Shakespeare, La Bruyère, and Rebecca West. And in Chapter 3, Woolf alludes to or directly references Shakespeare, Chaucer, Edgar Allan Poe, Virgil, and many more.
All of these allusions place Woolf on the same level as her male contemporaries by demonstrating that her work is in active conversation with the work of other writers. Woolf also situates herself within a greater legacy of female writing and scholarship, which she wishes to see continue in perpetuity.
Related Themes:
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Fiction and Credibility:
In the following excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 1, Woolf introduces the premise for A Room of One's Own: a fictional yet somehow also personal narrative. In her introduction, Woolf takes an unconventional approach to establishing ethos:
At any rate, when a subject is highly controversial—and any question about sex is that—one cannot hope to tell the truth. One can only show how one came to hold whatever opinion one does hold. One can only give one’s audience the chance of drawing their own conclusions as they observe the limitations, the prejudices, the idiosyncrasies of the speaker. Fiction here is likely to contain more truth than fact. Therefore I propose, making use of all the liberties and licences of a novelist, to tell you the story of the two days that preceded my coming here.
Arguably, fiction can highlight deep, universal humans truths in a way that one opinion from an individual cannot. Therefore, as a novelist, Woolf has a claim on ethos—a claim on truth-telling. Woolf recognizes that truth is subjective, and therefore, by penning a semi-fictional and stream-of-consciousness narrative, Woolf provides readers with a vessel through which to discover their own feelings about "women" and "fiction." While Woolf's own stream-of-consciousness narrative dances around certain conclusions, she makes few definitive statements, refusing to generalize (as a counter to the male authors she critiques who do make generalizations).
Related Themes:
