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 How This Unit Works…

As you work through this unit, you can track your progress on each
slide. By the final slide, you should have successfully completed
tasks under the following headings:

• remember;
• understand;
• apply;
• analyse;
• evaluate;
and
• create.
 What Is Pathetic Fallacy?

Pathetic fallacy is a technique where we give or project human

qualities or emotions to something non-human. Often (but not
always) pathetic fallacy focuses on nature or the environment.
Pathetic fallacy is a type of personification, but is uniquely related to
nature; personification can give a human quality to anything
non-human.
The word ‘pathetic’ comes from the Latin word ‘pathos’ which
means feeling; the word ‘fallacy’ also comes from Latin and
Example means deceitful or false.
As the old man trudged back home, downtrodden, the raindrops wept all
around him.
Here, the raindrops are described as weeping (‘wept’). This is effective as:
a) it tells us that it was raining (literal meaning);
b) it reflects the man’s emotions as we know he is sad (‘downtrodden’), so
comparing the rain to tears emphasises his sadness (metaphorical
extension).
 Further Examples
Example 2
The sun shone cheerfully on the holiday
makers as they splashed gleefully in the
crystalline sea.
Here, the sun is described as shining
‘cheerfully’. This is effective as:
a) it tells us that it is bright (literal
meaning);
b) it reflects the holiday makers’
emotions as we know they are happy
(‘splashed gleefully’), so describing the
sun as cheerful emphasises the upbeat
mood on the beach
(metaphorical extension).
Example 3
The wind blew dramatically around the
two men as they faced each other, ready
for the fight.
Here, the wind is described as blowing
‘dramatically’. This is effective as:
a) it tells us that the wind was blowing
strongly (literal meaning);
b) it reflects the high tension of the
situation as it is a climatic moment
just before the physical altercation
between these two men
(metaphorical extension).
 Quick Quiz

REMEMBER

1. What is the definition of pathetic fallacy?

Pathetic fallacy is a technique where we give
or project human emotions to something
non-human, often (but not always) nature or
the environment.

2. What does pathetic fallacy mean in Latin?

False (or deceitful) feeling.

3. Give an example of pathetic fallacy covered

so far. Raindrops
wept, sun shone down cheerfully, wind blew
dramatically.
 Sort and Identify Task

UNDERSTAND

Below is a list of phrases. Separate the examples of pathetic fallacy from the other
phrases, then underline the human feeling or attribute in each one.

The leaves on the trees shivered as the terrified children took shelter beneath them.
The wind blew violently, toppling over any object not bolted to the ground.
In the growing dark, the campers sat, exhausted, around the fire. Around them, the
flower heads drooped sleepily in the dim.
Overhead, the clouds gathered moodily as the young couple stalked away from each
other in opposite directions.
The breeze swirled around the hills as golden leaves floated to the ground. It was a
perfect autumn day.
The heat of the day was spiteful - it beat down mercilessly as people - unable to cope -
hid in any shade they could find.
 Sort and Identify Task - Answers

UNDERSTAND

The leaves on the trees shivered as the terrified children took shelter beneath them.
The wind blew violently, toppling over any object not bolted to the ground.
In the growing dark, the campers sat, exhausted, around the fire. Around them, the
flower heads drooped sleepily in the dim.
Overhead, the clouds gathered moodily as the young couple stalked away from each
other in opposite directions.
The breeze swirled around the hills as golden leaves floated to the ground. It was a
perfect autumn day.
The heat of the day was spiteful - it beat down mercilessly as people - unable to cope -
hid in any shade they could find.
 Heads and Tails Task

APPLY
Match the ‘heads’ on the left-hand side with their ‘tails’ on the right to make six
examples of pathetic fallacy:

The tree branches… …whispered among the flowers.

The gentle breeze… …the lonely cloud drifted by.

The stars …storm took its wrath out on the whole town.

Angrily, the… …clawed desperately at the window.

On its own in the sky… …danced its way across the hill.

The fire… …winked knowingly down at us.

 Heads and Tails Task - Answers

APPLY

The tree branches… …clawed desperately at the window.

The gentle breeze… …whispered among the flowers.

The stars …winked knowingly down at us.

Angrily, the… …storm took its wrath out on the whole town.

On its own in the sky… …the lonely cloud drifted by.

The fire… …danced its way across the hill.

 What Is the Meaning of This?

ANALYSE
Read the phrases in the table below and explain what makes each one pathetic fallacy.
An example has been included to help you get started.

Pathetic Fallacy Explanation/Analysis

The mountains loomed threateningly over the
first-time climbers.
The thunder roared as if chasing the lightning across
the sky.
Here, the mountain range is described as ‘loom[ing]
threateningly’. This is effective as it tells us the mountain range
is huge and casting shadows over the climbers at the bottom,
whilst reflecting the fear and worry they feel about making the
daunting journey to the summit.

The rising sun peeked curiously over the horizon.

They waded through the miserable mist in low spirits.

The masked figure appeared at the door of the house as

the torrential rain furiously attacked the roof.

The leaves chased each other playfully as they let go of

their mother branches in the autumn breeze.
 Just For Fun! ♫

Which songs do the following examples of pathetic fallacy come from? Do some
research and find out.

1. I want to wake in a city that never sleeps.

New York, New York by Frank Sinatra

2. Little darling, its been a long, cold, lonely winter.

Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles

3. You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes.

Thriller by Michael Jackson

4. And so, today, my world is smiles.

Thank You by Led Zeppelin

5. Gravity’s holding me back.

As It Was by Harry Styles

 Diamond Ranking Task

EVALUATE
Below is a list of nine pathetic fallacies that you will be familiar with from earlier tasks.
Using the diamond format below, rank these in order of how effective you think they are
from most (top) to least (bottom). This task is about your opinion, so be prepared to feed
your ideas back to the class.

The fire danced across the hill.

The flower heads drooped sleepily. They waded through the miserable mist.

The stars winked knowingly The heat of the day was The raindrops wept around
down at us. spiteful. him.

The breeze whispered among the flowers. The leaves chased each other playfully.

The thunder roared as if chasing the lightning.

 Over to You…

CREATE
Below is a list of emotions. Choose any five of these and match them with aspects of
nature/the environment to create examples of pathetic fallacy.

moody shy jolly fearsome protective

stubborn cantankerous anxious enthusiastic lazy

Extension: create an opening paragraph for a story where you use your completed
examples to effectively create atmosphere and set the scene.
 Self-Evaluation Plenary

In pairs, write a sentence about how each word below relates to

today’s learning. Are they all relevant?

emotion

nature

non-human

diamond ranking

roared

mood