English Language GCSE
Pathetic Fallacy
What Pathetic Fallacy means in English Language GCSE, as defined for OCR.
Definitions of Pathetic Fallacy
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
The attribution of human feelings and responses to inanimate things or animals, especially in art and literature (usually weather).
A literary device where the weather or physical environment reflects the emotions of the characters or the mood of the scene.
Topics that use Pathetic Fallacy
- Exploring effects and impact (02) (OCR GCSE)
- Writing for audience, impact and purpose (OCR GCSE)
Related terms
- Juxtaposition
- Register
- Cyclical Structure
- Discourse Marker
- Discourse Markers
- In Medias Res
- Omniscient Narrator
- Rhetorical Question
Using Pathetic Fallacy in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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