Carol Rogers, a psychologist from America, believes that every child is the centre of their changing environment. This means that they are the strategists who work towards being self-actualized. Trevor’s Social Studies teacher gives him an assignment. Mimi Leder’s film “Pay It Forward” shows how an 11 year old boy gets assigned a task in Social Studies class. This assignment is to develop an idea and implement it. Trevor is inspired by the assignment and embarks on a journey of good deeds to make a real difference in the world. Leder communicates an important message. It is to inspire and motivate people to do good.
Logos is an effective way to convey the writer’s message. In the film’s opening, the lawyer’s daughter suffers from asthma and cannot breathe. Nurses ignore her condition. The victim of a stabbing wound claimed that his injury wasn’t life-threatening and they treated her first. The film opens with the injured man being saved by a woman who is very important. She was doing so because she was giving it back to her. One example of logos that is shown in the film, Trevor’s answer to his question “What have you done to change the world?” Trevor replies with “Well Trevor”, “Well Trevor, well I get a good sleep, I eat a full breakfast, I arrive on time, then I pass it to you.” While his title as Social Studies teacher gives him legitimacy, he also uses the speech to explain his assignment. While his answer may not seem all that important, his last few words where he said, “Pass the blame to you”, gives his argument meaning. This phrase prompts students to think about their next steps. Additionally, Mr. Simonet said, “…you cannot drive, vote, or even use the toilet without my permission… You are still in 7th grade but you won’t be stuck there forever. One day, you’ll be free. They will one day be able to “free” themselves, despite being limited by their age. To make it even more interesting, pathos allows the reader access to their emotions to support the argument. Their goal is to bring about change in the world via acts of kindness. Trevor is riding home through a community of homeless people and invites Jerry to join him. Trevor helps Jerry to get back on track without his mother knowing. That’s where Paying is Forward begins. Even though Trevor later believes he had failed Jerry after the fallout, Jerry is able to get back on his feet. Another example of how the film shows compassion is when Jerry is given a second chance. Jerry sees a woman on the bridge edge, about to jump. She thinks he’s after her money. Trevor saved his life by changing his mind. He really wants her to be helped and he is willing to help herself. It might save hers, if he can do it. Also, as Mr. Simonet stated in the script “Pay it Forward”, “… is the place where…in each of you…here [points in mind]”. Simonet motivates students by using emotional emphasis.
Further, ethos is a way to convince others of a person’s credibility. In this instance, the screenwriter uses Mr. Simonet to communicate his feelings through his body language and strong voice. When Mr. Simonet speaks “…, he means “wrong, crazy, bummer and hard”. It’s possible”, Trevor and the other students realize this. Trevor has not had a good life. Trevor’s initiative to pay it forward is the most notable example of ethos. Trevor’s kind deeds led Chandler to conduct an investigation into the source of the pay-it forward idea. They didn’t know that it had been brought up by an eleven-year-old boy. Chandler eventually found Trevor after his investigations. He informed him that the innovative “pay It Forward” project had had a much greater positive impact than he thought. Trevor’s innocence proves that he is more morally competent than his parents. If you take Jerry in, many people would think it is dangerous. However, Trevor’s innocent eyes see Jerry as someone who was in dire need of help. Trevor believed his ability to do this.
Leslie Dixon employs pathos and logos to reinforce the message of his film. His goal is to motivate and inspire people through acts of kindness. The movie clearly articulates its real goals. They are to encourage people to consider how a simple idea could make a significant impact on the world. This was achieved easily by the outstanding acting. The movie used convincing reasoning, evidence, trustworthiness and emotional appeal to grab the attention of the audience. You should take advantage of the next opportunity to make a difference for someone you care about. You may be surprised at the unexpected, undiscovered ideas or thoughts that lead to another step, which could potentially lead to a breakthrough in you life.
