key term - Emotional Appeal

Definition

Emotional appeal refers to a persuasive technique that aims to evoke strong feelings in the audience to influence their attitudes or decisions. It often leverages sentiments such as compassion, fear, love, or nostalgia to create a connection with the reader. This strategy plays a crucial role in literature by engaging readers on a personal level, helping them empathize with characters and situations, and inspiring action or change based on their emotional responses.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. In sentimental fiction, emotional appeal is used to highlight moral lessons and social issues, often portraying characters in distressing situations to evoke empathy from readers.
2. The Cult of Domesticity emphasized the emotional power of women as moral guardians, suggesting that their emotional responses could influence societal change.
3. In slave narratives, authors like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs employed emotional appeal to expose the horrors of slavery and inspire abolitionist sentiments among their readers.
4. Emotional appeal can be seen in the use of vivid imagery and personal anecdotes that draw readers into the lived experiences of characters, making them more relatable and impactful.
5. Effective use of emotional appeal can create a lasting impression, encouraging readers to not only sympathize with characters but also reflect on larger societal issues presented in the text.

Review Questions

• How does emotional appeal function within sentimental fiction to engage readers?
  • Emotional appeal in sentimental fiction works by evoking strong feelings like compassion and sorrow, drawing readers into the lives of characters facing hardships. This connection allows readers to empathize with characters' struggles and triumphs, making the moral lessons more impactful. By leveraging heightened emotions, authors can effectively encourage readers to reflect on social issues and provoke a response.
• Discuss how Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs utilize emotional appeal in their narratives to address the injustices of slavery.
  • Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs harness emotional appeal by sharing personal stories filled with pain, suffering, and resilience. Douglass highlights his own brutal experiences while showcasing the humanity of enslaved individuals, prompting readers to feel outrage and empathy. Similarly, Jacobs’s narrative illustrates the sexual exploitation faced by enslaved women, stirring compassion and motivating her audience toward action against slavery. Their use of emotion serves as a powerful tool for advocacy and awareness.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of emotional appeal in shaping societal views during the period of the Cult of Domesticity and in slave narratives.
  • Emotional appeal proved highly effective in shaping societal views during the Cult of Domesticity and in slave narratives by fostering empathy among audiences. In the context of the Cult, portraying women as emotional moral anchors helped promote domestic virtues and women's roles in societal reform. Conversely, in slave narratives, vivid depictions of suffering ignited abolitionist sentiment among readers, leading to increased advocacy against slavery. This dual role underscores how emotional engagement can be a powerful catalyst for social change.

Related terms

Pathos: A rhetorical device that appeals to the audience's emotions, often used to persuade or evoke sympathy.

Sentimentalism: A literary movement emphasizing emotion and emotional responses over reason, often characterized by exaggerated emotional experiences.

Narrative Voice: The perspective or tone from which a story is told, which can influence the emotional impact of the narrative.