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Dramatic Irony
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
Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—You Didn't Know Allie:
Salinger appeals to the reader’s sense of ethos as Holden tries to explain why he broke all the windows in the garage the night his brother Allie died. He justifies that he doesn’t think he needed to be psychoanalyzed afterward, especially as he was “only thirteen”:
I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I don’t blame them. I really don’t. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it… It was a very stupid thing to do, I’ll admit, but I hardly didn’t even know I was doing it, and you didn’t know Allie.”
When appealing to a reader’s sense of ethos, an author is usually trying to give their narrator credibility and grounding as a reliable source of truth. Here, Holden tries to persuade the reader that he shouldn't have needed psychoanalysis for his behavior after Allie died. He presents his version of the facts in a way that’s designed to persuade the reader to agree with him. Here, he’s using ethos to establish his credibility and justify his actions. By admitting his behavior was "stupid" and acknowledging that he "hardly didn't even know" he was doing it, he’s attempting to appear honest and self-aware, giving himself credibility. He emphasizes that his brother was special, and that because his audience “didn’t know Allie,” they wouldn’t understand why he needed to smash the windows. This appeal aims to make Salinger’s reader feel they might have done something similar in Holden’s situation. A successful appeal to ethos here would persuade the reader to see his destructive behavior as an understandable reaction to grief rather than a sign that he needed to see an analyst.
Related Themes:
