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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
Chapters 1–16
Explanation and Analysis—Like a Thunderbolt:
Some time after Strickland permanently runs off to Paris, Mrs. Strickland requests to see the narrator in her home. She describes Strickland's abandonment using simile as well as pathos:
Generally when a man falls in love with someone people see them about together, lunching or something, and her friends always come and tell the wife. I had no warning—nothing. His letter came like a thunderbolt. I thought he was perfectly happy.
Left destitute by her husband, Mrs. Strickland is distraught and wishes for her husband back. She even asks the narrator to go to Paris and bring him back, despite the narrator's limited relationship with Strickland. Mrs. Strickland uses pathos (appeal to emotion) to convince the narrator, claiming that "his letter came like a thunderbolt," which implies that it was shocking and unpredictable. Interestingly, this strong weather image contradicts the narrator's previous description of Strickland as "dull."
The fact that Strickland's departure from London was so sudden further demonstrates the indifference that Strickland felt toward his family and therefore society's impression of him. Strickland unabashedly indulges in immorality without caring about the consequences his behavior has on others. Strickland's thunderbolt-like abandonment illustrates the power of his artistic ambitions and his all-encompassing desire to be an artist.
Related Themes:
