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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 41
Explanation and Analysis—Because of Papers:
Ifemelu’s hair-braiding visit ends with a moment of pathos in Chapter 41. Desperate to marry her Igbo lover, Aisha repeatedly made unsuccessful attempts at persuading Ifemelu to speak with him. Now, the hairdresser suddenly breaks down:
“My father die and I don’t go. Because of papers. But maybe, if Chijioke marry me, when my mother die, I can go. She is sick now. But I send her money.” […]
Then, just as suddenly as she had spoken, Aisha began to cry. Her eyes melted, her mouth caved, and a terrifying thing happened to her face: it collapsed into despair. She kept twisting Ifemelu’s hair, her hand movements unchanged, while her face, as though it did not belong to her body, continued to crumple, tears running from her eyes, her chest heaving.”
Aisha’s nagging insistence has not earned her any favors from either Ifemelu or the reader. But she stirs some feeling of pity in this moment as she exposes her vulnerabilities. As she explains to Ifemelu, she cannot treat her skin condition because of her absence of papers. She wires money home to an ailing mother and depends on marriage for hopes of legal residence. Her admissions reframe previously irritating quirks as a products of unfortunate circumstances. Americanah reveals the suffering behind Aisha’s otherwise strange manners. The scene of rare vulnerability also gets bundled with other shocking news. Just as she leaves the salon, Ifemelu finds out about Dike’s attempted suicide. Her cousin becomes an unexpected mirror to her hairdresser, another proof of how little individuals can understand each other’s innermost struggles.
Related Themes:
