Rhetorical devices

The extract “Family Matters” from Jeff Benedict’s and Armen Keteyian’s biography Tiger Woods uses several rhetorical devices to involve the reader in the text.

Anecdotes

One of the main devices used in the extract is anecdotes, which means little stories with a message. A biography typically includes many anecdotes because the authors use them to paint a powerful and realistic image of the subject.

One such anecdote draws on Earl’s personal experience. It is used to create a vivid image of Earl’s father, Miles, in the reader’s mind: “ ‘He showed me how to mix the mortar’, Earl said. ‘He had his own way. He’d say, ‘You’ve got to have the right amount of spit in it.’ He’d spit in the bucket and say ‘Yeah that’s about right.’ ” (ll. 74-76). This anecdote paints Miles as a colorful character, highlighting his contrary, stubborn, and unconventional nature. This makes us realize that Earl has become a lot like his own father.

Another significant anecdo...