Rhetorical devices

Rhetorical devices are language tricks that help writers present their arguments in a more appealing manner. Here are the main devices used by Sarah Boseley.

Allusions and direct references

An allusion is a subtle, indirect reference to people, events, media, or literature. In the article, Boseley makes a literary allusion to Lewis Caroll’s famous story Alice in Wonderland: “…like Alice In Wonderland inside the little house after drinking something she shouldn't, she grew too big to get out of the door.” (ll. 29-32). This makes it clear that Georgia Davis is an extraordinary case, but one which can be used to illustrate a wider point.

Boseley also alludes to the “nanny state” (l. 325), an expression used to describe an overprotective government which interferes in people’s personal choices.

The rest of the mentions of people, events, media, and organisations are direct references that help the writer set out the context and explore the topic. For example, she mentions media like The Lancet (l. 57) and The Sun (l. 84). She presents The Lancet as a reliable source of information while she criticises The Sun, which is a tabloid paper. 

Boseley directly mentions a number of companies that she blames for encouraging an unhealthy lifestyle through paid studies that serve their interests:  “Its ‘sustai...