what is ethos in literature

Ethos is a rhetorical or written technique that appeals to an audience or readers ethics. It is one of the three Aristotelian appeals, along with pathos and logos, and is used to establish the credibility and authority of the author or speaker. In literature, ethos is often used to communicate similarity or likemindedness between characters, and authors use it to establish a narrators reliability at the outset of a novel. Ethos can be conveyed through a characters speech or actions, and it gives insight into characters perceptions of one another, their values, and their motives. Ethos is also an especially useful tool for authors looking to establish a narrators credibility, as having a credible narrator is hugely important to the success of a literary work. Examples of ethos in literature include the opening lines of the United States Declaration of Independence, which presents an appeal to ethos.