Ethos,+Pathos,+Logos

__Ethos__ Ethical appeal in __Mr. Smith Goes To Washington__ is shown in many of the conflicts characters face in the story. Their morals are testing and their decisions reveal the true ethics which they live by. Ex: -Smith refusing to take Taylor's offer to stay silent about the graft: "(Jim Taylor) offered me a seat in the senate for the next twenty years if I voted for a dam that he knew and I knew was a fraud" (Smith).

- Payne deciding to admit he was corrupt in front of Congress: "Willet Dam is a fraud... I'm not fit to live... Every word he said was true" (Paine)

- Taylor wanting to build the dam for profit from taxpayer's dollars.

-Images of the Lincoln Memorial, Capital Dome, the White House, and the American flag show the honor and ethics that the people fot he United States fought for. -Saunders choosing to forgo a bonus to help Smith stay in Congres: "I won't be party to murder" (Saunders)

-Paine telling Congress that it was Smith who had bought the land and who was building a boy's camp for profit: "Carefully laid plans to make an enormous prfit from the nickels and dimes scraped together by the boys of this country" (Paine).

__Logos__ Examples of logos are mainly based around the characters of Joe Paine and Mr. Taylor. Taylor is simply looking out for his own selfish intrests and bank account when manipulates senators and the governer. Ex: - Using Smith as a pawn in their attempts to pass a bill that will be profitable for Taylor by keeping him dumb about politics: "Keep Smith away from anything that sounds like politics" (Talyor)

- Taylor logically reasoning with Smith to get him to vote for his bill: "There's o reason why you can't come back to that Senate and stay there as long as you want... if you're smart" (Taylor).

-Talyor making money off of the dam, since he owns the land under false names: "... wanted to put through the dam for his own profit" (Smith).

-Paine making a rational choice to compromise is opinions and ethics to stay in Senate: "Joe Paine has been taking my advice for the past twenty years" (Talyor).

__Pathos__ Jefferson Smith is undoubtably the character in the film that connects with the audience on an emotional level. His struggles from being a naive Senator being made fun of, to fighting and defeating what seemed like impossible odds make him a role model. Also, there is emotional appeal in a more negative way with Joe Paine's corrupt compromises and false appearance.

Ex: -The public opinion that he was an all-around good man: "He's the greatest hero we've ever had" (Governer Hubert's son).

- Smith being mis-quoted and made a fool in the newspapers: "First Whiff of Washington" (newspaper headline).

-Smith's anger shown through the punching of reporters.

-The earnestness of his character shown during his fillibuster: "Either I'm dead right or I'm crazy!" (Smith).

-Smith's desire for honesty and clearing his name: "Why don't you tell the people the truth for a change", "You thought so much about being honest as being smart", and "I stand guilty as framed because section forty is graft!" (Smith).

-Saunders tearing up during many of Smith's speeches.

- Smith's ironic idea that Paine is interested in helping him: "Jow Paine was the finest man he ever knew" (Smith).

- The scenes of anti-Smith propganda being more powerful that pro-Smith propoganda. Men stealing newspaper formt he boys and people getting sprayed with hose during a peaceful protest.

__Discussion Question:__


 * Do you believe that polititians need to compromise with corporations to remain powerful?**