Question

ndrea is preparing for a group discussion about Adichie’s use of rhetorical strategies. Read the excerpt from "The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

But the truth is that I had a very happy childhood, full of laughter and love, in a very close-knit family.

But I also had grandfathers who died in refugee camps. My cousin Polle died because he could not get adequate healthcare. One of my closest friends, Okoloma, died in a plane crash because our fire trucks did not have water.

Which question would be best for Andrea to ask about pathos?

What is the impact of using pathos to tell Polle’s story?
How does the use of pathos support Adichie’s purpose of humanizing her childhood experiences?
Why does Adichie use pathos to emphasize sad events right after highlighting happy childhood memories?
How does pathos highlight the idea of the refugee camps?

Answer 1

“How does the use of pathos support Adichie’s purpose of humanizing her childhood experiences?”

This is best because it asks how emotional appeal functions in the passage to achieve Adichie’s larger goal (making her life complex and relatable), rather than just focusing on one detail or scene. It invites analysis of how the sad details create empathy, complicate a stereotype, and deepen the reader’s understanding of her childhood.