Pathos AP Lit Blog

When constructing an argument, many disputants attempt to appeal to their audience’s sense of pathos, that is, the audience’s emotions. This can often be very effective, and can lead to an emotional connection that is hard to break. This only works, however, if the audience is sympathetic to that side of the argument, otherwise, they may have a negative reaction. The only responsibility lies with the fact that appeals to pathos should not confuse an issue; it should help to make the issue clearer. The media and the government, both of which generally utilize the appeals correctly, often utilize appeals to pathos. If talking about abortion, pro-choice people will tell stories of mother’s health being at risk, or if they talk about taxes, people will talk about how strenuous they can be on the poorer people in our society. The problem lies with the fact that so many media agencies appeal to our sense of pathos that it can confuse people, with all the different stories and distortions of truth they are told. Though appeals to pathos can often be effective, it should always help to clarify and issue, and if too many sides attempt these appeals then the audience can eventually grow confused.