Rhetorical devices

Personal anecdotes

Tara Westover's use of personal anecdotes in her essay "I Am Not Proof of the American Dream" is a key component of her argument. For example, she shares her personal experience as a student to show the challenges that poor students face when trying to get an education: 

I’m heading for the engineering building, where I will pick gum out of short nylon carpet, wipe strange equations from dusty chalkboards, and scour the interior of toilet bowls with an odorless blue gel. I will finish around 8 a.m., then head to class. (ll. 8-11)

By sharing specific details of her routine, such as waking up at 3:40 a.m. to work a job before heading to class, and the physical toll of working multiple jobs while going to school, Westover conveys the reality of her situation and the impact it had on her life. Additionally, Westover also shares how her reality changed completely once she received financial h...