The ethos, logos, and pathos of Edward Said’s “Keeping Time” revolve around humor, melancholy, tragedy, and Said’s relationship with his mother.

At first, the pathos mostly centers on Said and his mom. The reader might be able to see Said’s pensive experiences with his mom in their interactions with their parents. Additionally, through specific dialogue, Said appears to show why he wished his mom could comfort him and be less stern. Yet the pathos isn’t entirely melancholy, as Said sprinkles in some humor, like when his mom asks, “Who ate the chocolates? A full box has disappeared, Edward!” Later, when Said brings up leukemia and cancer, the pathos is tragic.

The range of emotions links to the ethos of the essay and helps Said establish his credibility. Said presents a range of emotions about his mother and his inability to embrace “leisure.” Said’s honesty isn’t always flattering, and his willingness to display his faults makes him trustworthy—he’s not trying to hide something from the reader.

As for logos, the logic of Said’s essay arrives via sleep. He connects his leukemia to his mom’s cancer, as both lacked sleep due to their respective illnesses. Said explains why he adopted sleeplessness as a part of his identity. His unique simile—“I occasionally experience myself as a cluster of flowing currents”—furthers his reasons for not liking the drugs that “induced somnolence.” Through his depictions of his upbringing and his mom and his vivid diction, Said arguably creates a reasonable argument about time and identity.