Great writers find ways to explore the internal states of a character without explicitly labeling them. Through their world, dialogue, and imagery, writers can invite readers to lean in and interpret their words, putting pieces of the story and character together.
When it comes to the internal state of characters, pathetic fallacy can have a tremendous impact on how we perceive the state of a character in juxtaposition with the world around them.
What is Pathetic Fallacy?
First, let’s define pathetic fallacy
Pathetic fallacy may sound like a philosophical term for an argumentative wrong-doing, but it is actually a helpful literary writing technique. Why’s it called a fallacy and what does it mean?
PATHETIC FALLACY DEFINITION
What is a pathetic fallacy?
Pathetic fallacy is a literary device that attributes human qualities and emotions to inanimate objects of nature, such as weather, landscapes, or other natural phenomena. This technique is used to reflect the emotional state of a character or to evoke a desired emotional response in the reader. For example, describing a storm as "angry" or attributing sadness to rain is a simple use of pathetic fallacy.
The term "pathetic fallacy" was coined by the art critic and philosopher John Ruskin in 1856, in his work Modern Painters. Ruskin used the term to criticize (thus 'fallacy') writers and artists who gave human emotions to nature, arguing that such attributions were sentimental and falsely ascribed feelings to the natural world, which lacks human emotions.
What is pathetic fallacy used for?
- Conveying characters' internal state
- Foreshadowing
- Contrast between the natural world and human emotions
Pathetic Fallacy Meaning
Personification vs Pathetic fallacy
While both pathetic fallacy and personification involve giving human characteristics to non-human entities, the key difference lies in their application.
Personification is a broader term that applies to all kinds of inanimate objects and abstract concepts being given human traits or actions, such as "time flies" or a "smiling moon". Personification is used to create vivid and memorable imagery, that does not always have to do with reflecting a character or creating a thematic atmosphere.
Pathetic fallacy is a more specific type of personification, applying only to natural elements such as weather or landscapes. It has a more emotional and symbolic impact on the reader, used to convey the inner state of a character or foreshadow events to come.
Pathetic Fallacy Functions
What is pathetic fallacy used for?
Pathetic fallacy is what makes a narrative world feel like an important part of the story. It can accentuate emotional connections readers have with characters and invest more into what happens to them. What are the main reasons and ways writers use pathetic fallacy?
Pathetic Fallacy Explained
Conveying Characters' Internal State
Pathetic fallacy is often used to convey the emotional state of characters by tying the vivid atmosphere in a story to their internal experience. Think of the range of human emotions and how they can be expressed through nature or natural phenomena.
We often associate rain with sadness, joy with sunshine, stormy winds with conflict, and so on. Pathetic fallacy allows writers to paint a more evocative picture for readers and hit harder with the emotional impact of their writing.
Foreshadowing
Pathetic Fallacy can also be a tool for foreshadowing events by creating symbolism within a story. Stormy weather on the horizon can often appear simultaneously as conflict within a character.
The human mind associates weather and natural elements with various emotions and experiences. Writers use this psychological tendency to enhance their writing and add layers of meaning that can be subtle but effective.
Great Pathetic Fallacy Examples
Examples of pathetic fallacy
Pathetic fallacy has stood the test of time as a technique used from classical literature by writers like William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde to modern-day writers like Cormac McCarthy and Haruki Murakami. Let's look at some specific examples.
Examples from Classic Literature
One of the most iconic examples of pathetic fallacy in literature can be found in William Shakespeare's Macbeth.
In Act II, the foreboding atmosphere of the night, filled with haunting sounds and the absence of light, mirrors Macbeth's inner turmoil and guilt as he contemplates the murder of King Duncan.
“The night has been unruly. Where we lay,
Our chimneys were blown down and, as they say,
Lamentings heard i' th' air, strange screams of death,
And prophesying with accents terrible
Of dire combustion and confused events
New hatched to the woeful time. The obscure bird
Clamored the livelong night. Some say the Earth
Was feverous and did shake.” (2.3.28–35)
Shakespeare's use of the unruly night not only sets the tone for the deed but also reflects the moral corruption and chaos that follow.
Modern Examples
In contemporary literature and popular media, the use of pathetic fallacy remains prevalent. For instance, in the novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy, the bleak and ashen landscape through which the protagonists travel reflects the despair and desolation of a post-apocalyptic world. The environment itself becomes a character, embodying the theme of hopelessness and the struggle for survival.
Pathetic fallacy can be a stylistic tool for writers that combines imagery and personification. While this can be true, the best writers also use it because its storytelling function has such a tremendous impact.
Its ability to reflect the internal directly through the external environment in the story makes is function on various levels simultaneously for the story.
Up Next
What is Personification?
Pathetic fallacy is a specific type of personification with a particular use. Personification in general can impact a story in many ways. Learn how writers use it in novels, poetry, and screenplays our next article.
