Question

You have been hanging out with Chris for about a month. Chris lives about 30 minutes away from you. You plan to hang out this Saturday, and

Chris wants to go to a limited-release movie that you've been wanting to see for months at the mall near where Chris lives. You know the movie
won't be shown in a closer theater. By the time the movie would be over, it would be past your curfew, and by the time you would get home, you
would be about an hour past your curfew. You need to ask your parents' permission to go with Chris, and although they like Chris, you know they
are very strict when it comes to curfew.

How are you going to convince them to let you go to this movie and is it using ethos, pathos, or logos?

Answer 1

Answer: "Mom and Dad, I know you're very strict about my curfew, and I understand why that's important. But I really want to go see this movie with Chris on Saturday. It's a limited-release movie that won't be shown anywhere else, and I've been looking forward to it for months. I promise I'll be safe and responsible while I'm with Chris, and I'll make sure to call you as soon as the movie is over so that you know I'm on my way home. I know it will be past my curfew by the time I get home, but I'm willing to accept the consequences. Please trust me to make good decisions and let me go see this movie."

Explanation: Ethos, logos, and pathos are the three modes of persuasion identified by Aristotle in his work "Rhetoric".

Ethos: Ethos refers to the credibility or trustworthiness of the speaker or writer. In other words, ethos is based on the audience's perception of the speaker's character and reputation and is essential to establishing credibility and building trust with the audience.

Logos: Logos refers to using logical arguments, evidence, and reasoning to persuade an audience. Logos appeals to the audience's sense of reason and logic, and it effectively presents a clear and logical argument.

Pathos: Pathos refers to using emotional appeals to persuade an audience. This mode of persuasion involves appealing to the audience's emotions, values, and beliefs to inspire them to take action.

In this statement, we use logos by presenting the facts about the movie and the plans for being responsible and safe while you're out with Chris. We also use pathos by emphasizing how much this movie means to you and how you're willing to accept the consequences for being late. By showing that you understand your parents' concerns and that you're willing to be responsible, you're appealing to their sense of reason (logos) and their emotions (pathos) in order to persuade them to let you go to the movie. By being willing to call as soon as the movie is over, we use ethos to establish trustworthiness and explain your parents to trust you too.

Answer 2

To convince your parents to let you go to the movie, you should use a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos can be used to establish trustworthiness and show that you have thought through the risks and rewards of the situation. You can emphasize the fact that Chris is a responsible person and that you have been hanging out with him for a month and they trust him. Pathos can be used to emphasize the emotional reward of going to see the movie, which is something you have wanted to do for a long time. Logos can be used to emphasize the logic behind the situation and show that you have thought through the risks carefully and have a plan in place to ensure that you will be back before curfew. You can explain that the movie won't be showing anywhere else, that you will leave as soon as the movie is over, and that you will plan out the route and timing in advance so that you will make it back in time.