Ethos
In the story The Rocket, two characters argue with each other. One of them is Fiorello Bodoni, who dreams of flying a rocket one day, and the second is the older man Bramante, who claims that it is not worth even thinking about such a thing. Bramante’s character’s credibility is relatively high as he is pragmatic and uses facts. He says, “This is a rich man’s world,” hinting that Bodoni does not have enough money to fly to Mars (Metallicman, 2018).
He is correct because the flights are very expensive and clearly beyond the reach of the Bodoni family. The older man is a reliable source of information because he operates with facts. For Bodoni to trust him, he uses words like “It is the rich who have dreams and rockets’ ‘ (Metallic Man, 2018).
Thus, he wants to demotivate the main character because he initially has no chance of flying. Such words create ethical appeal in that both parties know this is true, and only Bodoni does not want to believe it. Bramante’s public reputation is difficult to assess since the rest of the characters in the story do not speak of him in any way. However, later in the middle of the story, Bodoni says that the older man was right and that he would not be able to fly to Mars (Metallicman, 2018). Bramante’s appeal is ideal because he logically reasoned that even if there was enough money for one family member to fly, then this was the wrong ethical decision. In this case, everyone else will constantly be jealous, and no one will have peace. It matters because, in the end, Bodoni listened to the arguments.
Pathos
In dialogue, Bramante often resorts to pathos when he claims that rocket flying is only for the rich. This can be seen in his words, “The Future becomes Now! Do we fly rockets? No!” (Metallic Man, 2018). In this way, he appeals to Bodoni’s emotions in order to evoke certain feelings in him, such as disappointment or resignation. Bramante aims to evoke these emotions in his interlocutor because if they appear, then it will be easier for the main character to come to terms with his position. Bodoni understands that flying on a rocket is unrealistic for him, and the older man knows this, too, so his goal is to push Bodoni to accept this fact. This appeal is practical as the protagonist begins to doubt his dreams. The phrase said by Bramante is significant because it emotionally explains to Bodoni that flights are available only to the rich. Paphos is perfectly conveyed by a few words of the older man. He uses phrases such as “No, nor their sons,” “Idiot,” and “pull your dreams apart” (Metallicman, 2018). All these phrases are emotional and show a clear position of Bramante.
Logos
Bramante’s logical appeal is also strong enough when Bodoni starts saying that at least one member of his family will be able to fly. The old man says to the interlocutor, “How will you choose? Who will go?” (Metallic Man, 2018). So, he wants Bodoni to think logically that it is impossible to pick just one person for the flight. This can lead to discord in the family because the rest would also like to fly, and it would be unfair to provide such an opportunity only for one.
The speaker’s statements are credible because they are authentic, which the interlocutor recognizes. Evidence in support of Bramante’s judgments can be found in basic knowledge of interpersonal relationships. It relies on how people would generally behave in such a situation. The speaker draws logical conclusions that it is better not to fly to anyone than to someone alone, and it is better to use the accumulated money for something useful. The appeal is practical because, after these arguments using logos, the dialogue ends, and Bodoni accepts the idea that no one can fly. The future action that is at stake is the potential rocket flight of someone from the Bodoni family and his dream of flying.
Reference
Metallic Man. (2018). The Rocket (full text) A story by Ray Bradbury. Web.