Appeals
Ethos
Ethos is used primarily to make viewers think that the speakers are correct and trustworthy. For example, Moore uses ethos in the documentary to show that the men he talks to are knowledgeable about guns and have insight as to why people have so many in their house. He does this by introducing many of them at a shooting range or a military camp, with guns. If they had been introduced elsewhere, say at a picnic or in a shopping mall, they would have been much less believable/reliable and therefore not effective in the documentary. In addition, the fact that many of the people interviewed support the same cause as the argument: that guns are an issue that need to be more controled. This makes us connect with them because we feel that their beliefs are like ours.
Logos
Logos is used through logical appeal. During the film, logos
was used make us realize the severity of gun deaths in the USA when Moore presented statistics about the number of gun related deaths per year in
different countries. He included about 10 different countries, including Canada
and France; all with numbers below 400 people per year. Then he revealed the
USA’s number; it was over 11,000. These cold hard facts made it impossible for
us to think that the USA didn’t have a major problem because the logic of the statistics wouldn’t let us
believe otherwise.
Pathos
The use of pathos is very strong throughout Bowing for Columbine. On countless occasions, Moore evokes sadness and grief for victims who died of shootings, anger against the killers, and hope and for those who are now forced to live with the physical and mental scars of different events involving guns. An example of when he evokes such feelings is when Moor shows the victims outside of Columbine, shortly after the school shooting. They cried and grieved, and through the tears they explained of how they had to beg for their lives with a gun at their heads and a killer with his hand on the trigger. This scene makes us emphasize with the victims and lets us feel a mere sliver of their sadness. It makes us feel like we need to do something to make a change, because we know that nobody deserves to feel that way and be scared in such a way as these victims.
By: Alison Cudmore