American Literature

Name__________________________________
Learning Objectives:
Define rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) and explain the effect on an audience
Analyze Jonathan Edwards rhetorical appeals in Sinners in the Hands of Angry God, Patrick
Henrys Speech in the Virginia Convention, and Thomas Paines The Crisis and his overall
effect on his audience

Exercise #1: Appeals Greek philosopher Aristotle identified three keys ways that writers can
appeal to their audiences in arguments. Define them below in your own words (using your notes)
and then give an example you will remember:
Pathos (emotional): makes an emotional connection with the reader. Often uses vivid
imagery and descriptive
language. Intended to make the reader/listener/viewer to feel an emotion: fear,
sadness, hope, etc
Example: Animals and music in SPCA commercial.
Ethos (credibility): an ethical appeal that helps the reader make a connection based on a
concept like being a good human, parent, Christian, citizen, patriot. It also can be when an
expert or authority figure is referenced and refers to the expertise or character of the person.
Example: Spokespeople for products.
Logos (logical): When an appeal uses logic, reasoning, or data to support an argument to
convince a reader.
Example: logical explanation, statistics, facts
Exercise #2: Please read Jonathan Edwards Sinners in the Hands of Angry God. As you read,
pay attention to the way in which Edwards uses vivid, emotional language to persuade his
congregation. Your task is to find an example in each category: pathos, ethos, logos. What is
Edwards ultimate purpose? Is he effective?
Appeals

Direct Quotation and Rhetorical Device

Analysis: What is the effect of this

appeal on Edwards congregants? Is
this effective?

Pathos

The bow of Gods wrath is bent, and the arrow made

ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at
your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but
the mere pleasure of God, and that of angry God,
without any promise or obligation at all that keeps the
arrow one moment from being made drunk with your
blood. personification

Edwards purposefully seeks to ignite fear in

his congregants. His bow and arrow imagery
is particularly nerve-wracking in that the
bow and arrow imagery reminds the
colonists of the Native American weapons.
Following Edwards appeal, his congregants
will understandably be afraid of sinning
against God.

Pathos
That world of misery, that lake of burning
brimstone, is extended abroad under you.
There is the dreadful pit of the burning
flames of the wrath of God; there is hells
wide gaping mouth open; and you have
nothing to stand upon, nor anything to take
hold of.
personification
Ethos:

Edwards purpose is to evoke fear in

his congregation to know that if
they have not converted that Hell is
waiting for them. He uses
personification as having a wide
gaping mouth open ready to
swallow them up like a monster. Yes
the idea of being eaten up by a
hellish monster would cause them
to fear.
Edwards purpose is to inspire hope

Logos

Many are daily coming from the east, west,

north and south;many that were very lately
in the same miserable condition you are in
are now in a happy state, with their hearts
filled with love to him, who has loved him
and washed them from their sins in his own
blood.
Allusion to the sacrifice of Christ dying on
the cross for the salvation of the believers

for those who are now terrified they

are going to hell. He describes how
those who were once sinners are
now flocking to be converted and
uses the allusion to show what good
Christians do to save themselves
from hell fire by accepting Christ
and then they too can be saved.

So that thus it is that natural men are held

in the hand of God; over the pit of hell; they
have deserved the fiery pit and are already
sentenced to it

If members of the congregation are

natural men then they are
unconverted. They are as they were
born therefore they are going to
hell.

imagery

Toulmin Model of argument: Claim, Ground, Warrant

Exercise #3: Revisit Thomas Paines The Crisis. Use your Toulmin model notes to determine the
claim, ground and warrant for each paragraph. There may be more than one, so choose the one
you can explain the best. Use the example provided for paragraph I.
Paragraph

Claim

Paragraph #1

We must fight against England and people will thank

us because she is trying to rule us in such a way that
is only within God right.

Paragraph
#2

Even though we should have won this last

winter, now is the time and all hope is not
lost.

Analysis: ground (evidence or

example) warrant (what
inference/assumption would
audience understand?)
Ground Is the historical allusion to an act
that England had passed that gave England
the right to do whatever they wanted within
in the colonies and took the rights of the
colonists away. The warrant is that the
people of the Colonies would know about
the Act and would understand the
significance of it.The other warrant is that
the people would agree that God is the
ultimate power over them, not an earthly
king.

Ground is reference to the fact that

they couldnt make good use of the
previous winter to gain the upper
hand over British troops. The
warrant comes in reference to the
dependent state and to Howe. The
audience would understand what is
going on with Howe and see that
they still recover and win.The
audience would also understand
how an army can use harsh weather
like winter to overcome their
opponents.

Paragraph
#3:

That God is on their side and they will win.

Ground is that because they have

so earnestly tried to avoid war that
God will be on their side. And that
the king of England is like a
murderer, thief and highwayman
and therefore God will not support
him in battle. The audience would
understand that highwaymen,
thieves and murderers break
commandments such as thou shalt
not kill and therefore will be
condemned by God.

Paragraph
#4
You can do Paragraph 4 on your own!!!
Exercise #4: Revisit Patrick Henrys Speech in the Virginia Convention. Identify the
rhetorical devices used and why they would be effective within the historical context.
Paragraph
Direct Quotation/Rhetorical Device
Analysis:Which appeal is being
used in this quote? What is the
effect of this rhetorical device on
Henrys audience? Why is it
effective.
Paragraph #1

MR. PRESIDENT: No man thinks more highly

than I do of the patriotism, as well as
abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who
have just addressed the House. But
different men often see the same subject in
different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will
not be thought disrespectful to those
gentlemen if, entertaining as I do, opinions
of a character very opposite to theirs,

This may be flattery to take the opposition

off guard. His audience is the house of
Burgesses and he is addressing the men
who have spoken before him who do not
want to go to war with England. We know it
is effective because they went to war one
month later and the vote that night was to
go to war.
Ethos is being used to appeal to the
character of the men.

Flattery

Paragraph
#2

Paragraph#
3:

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge

in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut
our eyes against a painful truth, and listen
to the song of that siren till she transforms
us into beasts.
Allusion to Greek Mythology

This allusion is useful because it

brings about the idea of weak men
who are susceptible to the songs
of those who would enslave them or
cause their deaths. England is the
siren. This is ethos because it
speaks to character.

And judging by the past, I wish to know

what there has been in the conduct of the
British ministry for the last ten years, to

The rhetorical questions are used to

make the audience think about
whether for the past ten years the
British have conducted themselves

justify those hopes with which gentlemen

have been pleased to solace themselves,
and the House? Is it that insidious smile
with which our petition has been lately
received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a
snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to
be betrayed with a kiss.

in such as manner as to give hope

to the Colonists and he uses the
Biblical allusion to help them draw
the conclusion of No. This again is
ethos because it is telling them not
to be too trusting or gullible which
is a character trait.

Rhetorical questions
Biblical allusion
Paragraph#
5:
You can do this one!

This page is your opinion! I cant answer these for you!

Reflection/Synthesizing: Answer the following question as completely as you can
using complete sentences and textual evidence.
Which rhetorical device do you think was most effective for each author? Consider their
audiences, their purpose, and the historical context.
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3. Henry:_____________________________________________________________________________________
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