In "A Shocking Accident" written by Graham Greene, the pathos refers to the main character's (Jerome) father tragic accident or death. However it is illustrated as a 'joke,' for his father died because he was killed by a falling pig.
Pathos is understood as a quality of an experience in life, or a work of art, that stirs up emotions of pity, sympathy, and sorrow. Pathos can be conveyed through words, pictures, or even with gestures of the body.