Roopa Banerjee

Some or the other time in life we have heard advice such as ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth’ or ‘Never get taken in by flattery’? What’s common in these sane suggestions is that the advice dissuades us from doing something. Known as dehortatio, it serves to deter or advise against a particular action, and is often used to add depth to dialogue, highlight a character’s wisdom, and enhance the narrative’s persuasive elements.

Dehortatio originates from the Latin verb dehortari, which means to dissuade or advise against. In rhetorical terms, dehortatio is the opposite of ‘hortatio’ or ‘adhortatio,’ which involves urging someone to take action. While hortatio encourages, dehortatio discourages, often using reasoning, moral arguments, and appeals to common sense to achieve its purpose.

Dehortatio is a useful writing device for persuasive narration. An interesting example is in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations where Joe Gargery uses dehortatio to advise Pip against becoming too proud and abandoning his humble roots. Joe gently cautions Pip: “If you can’t get to be uncommon through going straight, you’ll never get to do it through going crooked.”

Joe’s words serve to dissuade Pip from forsaking his values and the simple, honest life that shaped him.

Similarly, in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Bennet employs dehortatio when advising his daughter Elizabeth against marrying Mr. Collins. He understands Elizabeth’s strong-willed nature and her disdain for Mr. Collins’s obsequiousness. Mr. Bennet says: “An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day, you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”

This statement is a powerful dehortatio, dissuading Elizabeth from making a decision that would lead to personal unhappiness, thereby supporting her autonomy and emotional well-being.

Dehortatio abounds in many recent works of fiction, as well. In the iconic sci-fi film The Matrix, Morpheus uses dehortatio when he warns Neo about the nature of the Matrix and the consequences of taking the red pill. Morpheus cautions Neo that once he takes the red pill, there is no turning back. “This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill — the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill — you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

Morpheus’s warning is a classic example of dehortatio, advising Neo to consider the gravity of his choice and the irreversible consequences that come with knowledge of the Matrix.

In the Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots, Farhan is torn between following his passion for wildlife photography and adhering to his father’s wish for him to become an engineer. His friend, Rancho, uses dehortatio to advise Farhan against giving up on his dreams to pursue a career that doesn’t fulfill him. He counsels Farhan to follow his passion, stressing the importance of listening to one’s heart and pursuing what truly brings joy and emotional fulfilment.

Dehortatio is a nuanced and powerful rhetorical device in fiction writing. It allows writers to infuse their narratives with persuasive advice, moral guidance, and cautionary wisdom. By advising characters against certain actions, dehortatio not only shapes character development but also enriches the thematic depth of a story.

Exercise
Here are names of five books that use dehortatio. Name their authors.

Books
1. Crime and Punishment
2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
3. Heart of Darkness
4. Frankenstein
5. Moby-Dick

Authors
1. Fyodor Dostoevsky
2. Mark Twain
3. Joseph Conrad
4. Mary Shelley
5. Herman Melville

Also read: 10 commonly used literary terms