Rhetorical Triangle as the Deathly Hallows

                        I began reading the Harry Potter book series to my son when he was in the first grade.  As he grew older, we would buy a copy of the book the day it debuted and would fight over who would read it first. I would win, of course, being older and bigger- let alone his father.  I would relish in the adventures and would discuss and debate the tales with my son. I know that to compare the rhetorical triangle to the last book in the Harry Potter series would seem absurd.  The Deathly Hallows is a symbol representing the three Peverell brothers, Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus,  who fought with death (Rowling 2007). The symbol is a equilateral triangle with a vertical line bisecting a circle (Rowling, 2007).  The triangle is representative of the Cloak of Invisibility which allows the wearer to be attuned to his logical reactions and feelings to remain quiet until he would throw off the cloak and announce his presence (Rowling, 2007). The Cloak of Invisibility is represented by logos. Logos is the "clarity" and "consistency" of the argument's logical message (Ramage, 2010).  The circle in the Deathly Hallows illustrates the Resurrection Stone (Rowling, 2007).  The Resurrection Stone when used would revive the dead as a ghost like being to have contact with the living (Rowling, 2007). The Resurrection Stone is like pathos appealing to the emotions of the user. Pathos captivates the emotions of the audience to speaker's message (Ramage, 2010).  The vertical line in the Deathly Hallows depicts the Elder Wand (Rowling, 2007).  The Elder Wand is an all powerful wand that delivers ethical justice in Harry's hand (Rowling, 2007).  Therefore the Elder Wand is the ethos or the ethical appeal which projects the speaker's character to the audience (Ramage, 2007).

            As we go through life the appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos accompany us as the Cloak of Invisibility, the Resurrection Stone, and Elder Wand accompanied Harry Potter on his journey.  It is essential that we use them carefully and judicially whenever we use rhetorical arguments in our daily lives.

References

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with    Readings. 8th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. Print.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007.             Print.