Lesson on Pathetic Fallacy

Pathetic fallacy comes from the old language derivative

Pathetic = pathos (which comes from the greek word meaning suffer)

Fallacy = fallacia ( which comes from the latin word meaning deciet)

John Ruskin wrote in 1856 that the aim of Pathetic fallacy was to :

"signify any description of inanimate natural objects that ascribes to them human capabilities, sensations, and emotions"

However for Ruskin it was seen as a derogatory. He objected to such usage because, however attractive or dramatic it may be, it "morbidly" attributes life and human intent to nature and is part of "a falseness in all our impressions of external things", which I think means he thought it was not truthful to represent such inanimate objects with human attributions.

We then looked at a short clip from Lord Of The Rings, and watched and listened out for how the clip had used Pathetic Fallacy to create atmosphere:

Sounds - the flowing of the river, jingling on gandalf's carriage, birds chirping, Gandalf singing, all suggest positivity

Weather - A bright sunny day, reflecting a normal day

Colours - bright greens, and yellows all show everything to be cheery and happy.

We then looked at some extracts of famous texts and highlighted where the author had used pathetic fallacy.

Charles Dickens in "Great Expectations" set the scene on a "raw afternoon" as it is getting dark, which sets a fearful scene taking place in a "distant savage place".

Bram Stoker in "Dracula" has the "falling sunset throw into strange relief the ghost-like clouds" and an "oppressive sense of thunder" creates a tension from the weather.

John Steinbeck manipulates the weather in "Of Mice and Men" to being a "hot day", "where the water is warm" to suit the story.

Then we looked on how Emily Bronte had used pathetic fallacy in "Wuthering Heights" in two extracts. One from Chapter 9, included a "very dark evening" when the thunder was "growling", the wind was "violent" and a storm came over the heights in "full fury", causing havoc and destruction as a tree falls across the roof. This perhaps reflects Catherine's emotive state as she is agitated and anger as she fears she has lost Heathcliff, or you could argue the weather infact represents Heathcliff rage as he overhears Catherine say it would degrade her to marry him.

Similarly in Extract B from Chapter 10, Bronte manipulates the weather to reflect the general mood at Thrushcross Grange, Nelly has been picking apples ( a nice enjoyable chore ) and it is a "mellow evening" just as the sun is setting and the moon is out also. The air is "soft" and "sweet" and suits the peace before Heathcliff returns and stirs things up.

Homework is to comment on Extracts C & D,

Read up to Chapter 16 and fill out the chapter summaries

And find links in the story between buildings and locations and characters

Enjoy!