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Parody
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
Letter 15
Explanation and Analysis—Poor Distressed Creature:
In Letter 15, Pamela tells her mother that she cut off her last letter abruptly because Mr. B. walked in on her and accused her of gossiping (in writing) when she should be working. Pamela uses pathos and ethos in her attempt to convince Mr. B. not to punish her:
I fell down on my Knees, and said, For God’s sake, your Honour, pity a poor distressed Creature, that knows nothing of her Duty, but how to cherish her Virtue and good Name! I have nothing else to trust to; and tho’ poor and friendless here, yet I have always been taught to value Honesty above my Life.
Pamela's posture, begging on her knees, is a common gesture of supplication, or humble petitioning. It is designed to flatter Mr. B. by putting him in a physical position of power over Pamela as she begs for his mercy. She calls on him to "pity" her and notice her "distress." She claims that if she is shirking her duties, it is because the only duty she has ever known has been protecting her "Virtue and good Name" (meaning her virginity and her reputation). Pamela impresses upon Mr. B. the high stakes of this duty: she is "poor and friendless" in his household, and the only thing she has to rely on is her "Virtue and good Name." Whereas Mr. B. has accused her of being disobedient, she appeals to his sympathy to see the difficult position she is in and to see her as someone utterly dedicated to her duty to protect herself from his sexual attention. This dedication, she implores him to believe, is what has driven her to write to her mother about him—not any desire to work against him. She insists that she is not trying to be dishonest by writing about him behind his back. In fact, she tells him that she would rather die than be dishonest with him. This intense statement is designed to soothe any feelings of distrust Mr. B. has toward Pamela. If she can get him to believe that she will never lie to him on purpose, he will trust her more and give her more freedom.
Related Themes:
Letter 24
Explanation and Analysis—Black and Blue:
In Letter 24, Pamela describes a moment when Mr. B. becomes violently upset and cannot decide whether to expel Pamela from his sight or to keep her with him. Pamela uses imagery and pathos as she describes this scene in her letter to her parents:
I thought he was mad, for my Share; for he knew not what he would have. But I was going however, and he stept after me, and took hold of my Arm, and brought me in again: I am sure he made my Arm black and blue; for the Marks are upon it still. Sir, Sir, said I, pray have Mercy; I will, I will come in!
Pamela does not just tell her parents that Mr. B. is violent. Rather, she describes how "he made my Arm black and blue." The visual image of the "marks" bruising her arm also conjures the sensory image of how it must have felt for Pamela to have Mr. B. squeeze her arm so tightly. This imagery plays into the pathos of the scene. Pamela is trying to explain to her parents why she would stay in the room with Mr. B. when he is in this state. Her parents have insisted, quite intensely, that it would be better for her to die than to have sex with Mr. B. Drawing attention to her bruised arm helps her emphasize the fear and lack of control she feels in his presence. This scene is one of many in which Pamela demonstrates how herculean the task of resisting his advances really is. It is not that she wants to yield to him, she persuades her parents. Rather, he has her practically in a vice grip. Pamela is in a constant state of danger in his presence.
Related Themes:
