Rhetorical Strategies

· Imagery “Her square jaw trembled when something moved her, and as she talked her eyes grew brilliant behind her winking rimless glasses” (11).
· Imagery “He had had fussy, aggrieved voice and thin disappointed lips” (149).
· Simile “Again I teased myself by leaving the rifle unloaded, snapping the hammer on air, trying my own patience like a loose tooth” (27).
· Simile “I watched the Thunderbird all the way down the hill to the main road, watched it as a man might watch a woman he’d just met leave his life, taking with her some hope of change that she made him feel” (228).
· Simile/Imagery “Sunlight gleamed on the silver, lit up the ice cubes in our glasses, made the tablecloth bright as a snowfield” (271).
Wolff employs several rhetorical strategies throughout This Boy’s Life to enhance his purpose of clearly narrating his story while captivating his reader. By employing the rhetorical strategy of imagery, Wolff clearly depicts those around him and provides the reader with his personal perspective. This allows the reader to easily picture the other characters while providing insight to Wolff’s opinion of others.
Wolff’s use of simile additionally adds to his writing by allowing the reader to successfully relate to Wolff’s feelings. For example, when Wolff compares his patience to a loose tooth, he effectively communicates the way he teases and tests the extent of his patience. The use of simile also conveys deeper meaning. In his description of his lunch with Mr. Howard, Wolff describes the sun’s illuminating effect on the objects as well as providing a comparison between the tablecloth and a snowfield. The effect of the sunlight parallels Wolff’s enlightenment through his scholarship from Hill as well as suggests the hope and bright future his scholarship offers. Throughout A Boy’s Life, Wolff’s use of rhetorical devices effectively enhances his purpose of comprehensively imparting his story while capably connecting with his reader.