Which statement uses pathos as a rhetorical appeal?

Which statement uses pathos as a rhetorical appeal?

• A. Sixty percent of the community center staff are unpaid volunteers.
• B. The center is subsidized, and over half of the children attend for free.
• C. The children's innocence touches the volunteers' hearts.
• D. Many staffers are retired teachers with impressive resumes.

Answer: (C)

Pathos is the rhetorical appeal to emotion. The statement that the children's innocence touches the volunteers’ hearts directly aims to evoke sympathy and warmth, using emotional imagery to persuade. It relies on feelings rather than facts or credibility, which is the hallmark of pathos. The other statements emphasize data, practicality, or authority instead of emotion: a factual note about unpaid volunteers highlights involvement or scale (logos/ethos through credibility), a subsidy claim focuses on benefits and access (logically appealing but not emotionally charged), and mentioning retirees with impressive resumes leans on credibility and prestige (ethos).

Pathos is the rhetorical appeal to emotion. The statement that the children's innocence touches the volunteers’ hearts directly aims to evoke sympathy and warmth, using emotional imagery to persuade. It relies on feelings rather than facts or credibility, which is the hallmark of pathos.

The other statements emphasize data, practicality, or authority instead of emotion: a factual note about unpaid volunteers highlights involvement or scale (logos/ethos through credibility), a subsidy claim focuses on benefits and access (logically appealing but not emotionally charged), and mentioning retirees with impressive resumes leans on credibility and prestige (ethos).