The Commonly Confused Words Bathos and Pathos

The Commonly Confused Words Bathos and Pathos The words bathos and pathos are related in meaning as well as in sound, but theyre not interchangeable. Definitions The noun bathos refers to an abrupt and often ludicrous transition from the elevated to the ordinary (a form of anticlimax), or to an excessively sentimental demonstration of pathos. The word bathos  (adjective form, bathetic) almost always has a negative connotation. The noun pathos  (adjective form, pathetic) refers to a quality in something experienced or observed that evokes sympathy and a feeling of sorrow. Examples The director had clearly decided to confront us with the gruesome detail of the massacre, but the sight of artificial dismembered limbs, human torsos dangling in  trees, and blood-stained cavalry men riding about brandishing human legs and heads,  that all clearly had the weight of polystyrene, made his intentions ridiculous.  The entire cinema burst out laughing as the film  descended into bathos. We expected the gruesome and got the bizarre instead.(John Wright, Why Is That So Funny? Limelight, 2007)The  pathos  of the  Frankenstein  legend is that the monster has some traits of humanity remaining within him.Mr. Moretti has a habit of crossing the line from pathos to bathos, but he imbues this  movie [Mia Madre] with such honest sentiment  that he can evoke a lifetime of feeling with just the shot of an empty chair.(Manohla  Dargis, New York Film Festival Walks the Tightrope Between Art and Commerce. The New York Times, September 24, 2015) Usage Notes Dont confuse bathos with pathos. Bathos, the Greek word for depth, is a descent from the sublime to the ridiculous. You commit bathos if, for example, you ruin a stately speech by ending it with some tasteless anecdote. The adjective is bathetic, like pathetic, the adjective for pathos, the Greek word for suffering. Bathos is commonly misused as the equivalent of sloppy sentimentality.(John B. Bremner, Words on Words: A Dictionary for Writers and Others Who Care About Words. Columbia University Press, 1980)Pathos is the quality of something, such as speech or music, that evokes a feeling of pity or sorrow: The mother told her tale with such pathos that tears came to the eyes of many present. Bathos is either insincere pathos or a descent from the sublime to the ridiculous: The play was rather moving in places, but the episode where the two take a shower together was pure bathos.(Adrian Room, Dictionary of Confusable Words. Fitzroy Dearborn, 2000)Pathos occurs when a feeling of pity, compassion or tenderness towards a character or situation is evoked in the reader. Pathos will be usually felt towards a hero, an admired character or a victim. The group victims of a disaster will also frequently engender pathos. The undeserved or early death of a character is a subject for pathos. If we have cried over some incident in a book we have experienced pathos. Think of the death of Ophelia in Hamlet and notice how it is Gertrudes speech about a young girls death which is the means by which Shakespeare induces pathos...The writer must always strike a careful balance with such scenes if pathos is to be achieved. Even good writers can sometimes go over the top into bathos, when an incident or character that should have aroused compassion veers toward the absurd or ludicrous. Dickens in The Old Curiosity Shop clearly meant the death of Little Nell to arouse pathos and for the most part it did with his contemporary readers. Many modern readers though find the overblown descri ption almost laughable.(Colin Bulman, Creative Writing: A Guide and Glossary to Fiction Writing. Polity Press, 2007) Practice (a) The pat ending of Beauty and the Beast disregards the dark undercurrent of genuine _____ and suffering that had made the Beast so endearing.(b) Don Gibsons . . . specialty  became the tearjerkin country ballad, although many of his recordings were so drenched in self-pity that they crossed the line into pure _____.(Richard Carlin,  Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary. Routledge, 2003) Scroll down for answers below: Answers to Practice Exercises: (a) The pat ending of  Beauty and the Beast  disregards the dark undercurrent of genuine  pathos  and suffering that had made the Beast so endearing.(b) Don Gibsons . . . specialty  became the tearjerkin country ballad, although many of his recordings were so drenched in self-pity that they crossed the line into pure  bathos.(Richard Carlin,  Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary. Routledge, 2003)

Using Force Against Civilians in Time of Civil Unrest Research Paper

Using Force Against Civilians in Time of Civil Unrest - Research Paper Example On the same note, the participation of civilians in such activities continues to take new directions every single day, and so have their rights. Nations around the world address the issue of civil unrests differently, based on their legal systems and the extent to which civil rights are observed. In some countries, use of force against civilians during such times is a normal phenomenon, while in others, force against civilians constitute a crime against the civilians. Sweden is no exception in the civil unrest pursuit. For Sweden, use of force against civilians in times of civil unrest is against the law. The provisions of the law strictly require upholding of human rights even in times of civil unrest (EPL 111). This is due to the fact that there are causes behind the observed situation during such times. In my country, civil unrests are addressed with regard to the cause and aspect within which they occur. Civil unrest as aforementioned can result from cultural, social, economic or political aspects within the country. Whatever the cause or aspect of occurrence, Sweden requires that civilians be handled humanely. This does not mean that the civilians can act in any way they feel like. Arrests and charges are provided for by the law (U.S Congress 2187). My country holds that acting forceful against the civilians is only likely to worsen the situation. With this in mind, the region within which Sweden is found becomes directly involved. Civil unrests that have previously been experienced in Sweden have not only affected Sweden as a country, but also the surrounding nations in that region. This situation has previously proven to be one that can ruin international relations. However, in the recent times, Sweden remains free of civil unrests, thereby enhancing regional and international relationships. Civil unrests and use of force against civilians is a situation that is also accounted for by the United Nations (UN). The UN monitors civil activities in all member states, and gets directly involved in issues that apply to its jurisdiction. The UN involvement comes if the country fails to control persistent civil unrest (Michael 83). Basically, civil groups work hand in hand with the government to resolve civil disputes if any. UN talks and engagement comes in when that process fails to realize the desired outcome. My country welcomes UN involvement in all aspects that fall under its legislature. Sweden being a UN member is subject to UN directives and regulations. In line with observing her position on use of force against civilians, Sweden also observes the UN provisions on the same. Human rights are central to Sweden’s bid to deal with civil unrest while avoiding force against the civilians (Thorsten, Stephan & Philipp 76). Resolution Paper Bearing in mind that contemporary civil issues are diverse and dynamic over time, it is important for Sweden and the UN at large to account for this ever changing trend. In so doing, the liberty of a country, and its position in the UN remains strategic, prior to the relationship that should prevail between the states that make up the UN, Alarmed by the fact that use of force against civilians is inhumane in Sweden, the position of the UN in getting involved in such matters in Sweden should remain within that provision, uninfluenced by the practices undertaken in other member states during similar times of civil unrest, Seeking reforms is