Question

Define ethos, logos and pathos. Give one example of each from the hunger games?

Answer 1

Ethos, logos, and pathos are rhetorical appeals used to persuade an audience:

1. **Ethos**: This appeal to credibility or character establishes trust and authority in the speaker or writer. It convinces the audience of the author's reliability.

**Example from "The Hunger Games"**: When Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her sister Prim's place in the Hunger Games, it establishes her credibility as a protective and selfless person. This act of bravery builds her ethos, making audiences trust her motivations and character.

2. **Logos**: This appeal to logic and reason uses facts, statistics, and logical arguments to persuade the audience.

**Example from "The Hunger Games"**: In her speeches during the Games, Katniss presents logical arguments about the injustices of the Capitol, using the reality of the Games and their brutality to highlight the need for change. Her reasoning appeals to the audience's sense of justice and rational thinking.

3. **Pathos**: This appeal to emotion seeks to evoke feelings in the audience, such as sympathy, anger, or excitement.

**Example from "The Hunger Games"**: A powerful moment of pathos occurs when Katniss and Peeta decide to eat the poisonous berries (nightlock) at the end of the first Hunger Games. This act evokes strong emotions, as it symbolizes defiance against the Capitol and elicits sympathy for their predicament, making the audience feel their desperation and the stakes of their rebellion.

These rhetorical strategies are effectively woven throughout the narrative, enhancing the story's depth and the characters' development.