EmotionalAppeal(Pathos)

• Arouses and enlists the emotions of the reader • Elicits sympathy; appeals to fear, sadness, anger, joy, patriotism, etc. • Often uses descriptions and examples to stir emotions • Pitfall: failure to employ restraint, displaying excessive sentimentality PathosExplained Pathos, according to Aristotle, is an important method of persuasion:

Persuasion may come through the hearers, when the speech stirs their emotion. Our judgments when we are pleased and friendly are not the same as when we are pained and hostile (Rhetoric 1.11356a 13-16).

As a writer/speaker, you should determine and address a particular audience in a particular situation. In ordinary verbal exchanges, we are acutely aware of our audience; we constantly interact with our listeners. Good writing/speaking creates a similar interaction. As writers/speakers, therefore, we must have an idea about what motivates and moves our audience. We must recognize and appeal to their hopes, their values, their fears, and their desires. We must anticipate their questions as well as their doubts, and we must respond to both in our communication. Rhetoric recognizes the whole person—the rational as well as the emotional side of being human. The first and most obvious step is to identify and get acquainted with your audience. Knowing their values will help you choose ways for establishing your own integrity; knowing their hopes and fears will help you recognize and acknowledge them in a sympathetic way. Determine who your audience is and consider which of these questions is relevant given your subject. – Is the audience male or female, or a combo of both? – What is their age? – Are they married, single, divorced, or widowed? – What nationality are they? – Do they belong to a particular ethnic group? – What is their political and religious affiliation? – What is their educational background? Once you have thought about the answers to these questions, ask yourself the following questions: – What information does my audience have about my subject? – What information do I need to give them? – What interest do they have in my subject? – How can I interest them in my subject? – What values do we share?

– On what do we agree? – What might be our points of disagreement? – What are their hopes and goals? – What do they fear? – How can I remind the audience of our common beliefs and values? – How can I make clear the connection between those shared beliefs and values and the

subject of this paper/speech? – What background information do my readers need? – What specialized technical terms need defining? – What do I want my audience to know, feel, or do after they read what I have written?