Pathos: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Robert Mulligan's film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird uses pathos to rally the audience behind the idea that prejudice can blind a person to the truth. A particularly powerful scene is the revelation of Boo Radley and the resulting interaction between him and Scout. Throughout the film, the only image the audience gets of Boo is how other characters describe him. Jem for example describes Boo as having a "foaming mouth and yellow teeth." But when Scout (and the audience) see him they realize he is just a regular man who is shy due to the ugliness of the world surrounding him. Although it is revealed that Boo kills Bob Ewell, Scout and the Sheriff defend him by stating that a shy person like Boo would not be able to handle being a neighborhood hero because of his shyness. It would not suit who he is as a person. It would be equivalent to "killing a mockingbird", which is a sin. Scout's realization mirrors the audience's: finding out that Boo Radley was a normal human being capable of kindness despite being a recluse influences the audience to admire his desire to protect Scout and Jem from Ewell even more. Initially Scout and Jem were afraid of Boo, but after he saved their life, they realize he has his own struggles with his society just like they and Tom Robinson do. – Sana Shah