Question

Read the excerpt from Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech "A Tryst with Destiny.”

The future beckons to us. Whither do we go and what shall be our endeavour? To bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants and workers of India; to fight and end poverty and ignorance and disease; to build up a prosperous, democratic and progressive nation, and to create social, economic and political institutions which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman.

We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be.

We are citizens of a great country, on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard.

Which statement best describes Nehru’s appeal to his audience?

Nehru uses ethos, relying on his credibility to appeal to his audience.
Nehru uses ethos, appealing to the emotions of the audience.
Nehru uses pathos, relying on logic to appeal to his audience.
Nehru uses pathos, appealing to the emotions of the audience.

Answer 1

Nehru uses pathos, appealing to the emotions of the audience.

Explanation: the passage is an inspiring call to duty—evoking hope, unity, moral obligation, and shared aspirations (freedom, justice, hard work)—which targets the audience’s feelings rather than primarily citing credentials (ethos) or logical argument (logos).