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Paradox
Definition of Pathos
Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Pathos is an argument that appeals to... read full definition
Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Pathos is... read full definition
Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective... read full definition
Chapter 25
Explanation and Analysis—Vandalism:
Left alone in the Egyptian tomb at the Museum of Art, Holden sees the phrase "Fuck You" written on the glass underneath one of the mummy exhibits. Disheartened by this, Holden thinks about how even the most peaceful scenarios in his world can be interrupted by the awfulness of other people:
That’s the whole trouble. You can’t ever find a place that’s nice and peaceful, because there isn’t any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you’re not looking, somebody’ll sneak up and write “Fuck you” right under your nose. Try it sometime. I think, even, if I ever die, and they stick me in a cemetery, and I have a tombstone and all, it’ll say “Holden Caulfield” on it, and then what year I was born and what year I died, and then right under that it’ll say “Fuck you.” I’m positive, in fact.
In this passage, Holden uses pathos and hyperbole to invoke the reader's sympathy through his gloomy predictions about his tombstone. When an author appeals to a reader’s sense of pathos, they are trying to make the reader feel an emotion in order to support a claim they’re making. Here, Holden states that one "can’t ever find a place that’s nice and peaceful, because there isn’t any." There’s nowhere that he could be buried, Holden claims, that wouldn’t be quickly ruined by someone defacing it. Holden is feeling pretty disillusioned by this point, and this statement reflects his bleak outlook on the future.
What's more, Holden goes on to amplify this through hyperbole, adding that he can’t imagine a place in the world where one could avoid someone carrying out this kind of defacement. He’s gloomily saying that he thinks the negative, “spoiling” aspect of life will always find a way to disrupt any sense of tranquility he can find.
The exaggerated prediction he makes about his tombstone furthers his point. He imagines that even in death, his grave marker would read "Holden Caulfield" along with his birth and death years. This seems normal. However, he goes on to say that he thinks someone would add "Fuck you" right below, preventing him from escaping disrespect and hostility even in death. Holden's insistence that this defacement is inevitable—"I’m positive, in fact"—is funny in this scenario, but the statement itself is painfully bitter. He’s trying to elicit sympathy from his audience for what he sees as his relentless misfortune in an unkind world.
Related Themes:
