Intention

The interview “Parents Who Love in a Living Hell” by Laurie Ashner and Mitch Meyerson focuses on two topics: Billy’s behavior and how Billy’s parents react to Billy’s behavior. These topics are inspired by the circumstances created by Billy being arrested twice and missing scho…

...

Present Billy’s behavior

The writer’s overall intention in the interview is to share his point of view on his son Billy’s behavior and on his family. To achieve this intention, he shares details about the problems created by Billy and about himself and his relationship with Billy’s mother.

Often, the use of rhetorical devices such as metaphor, idioms, and rhetorical questions help the writer achieve his intentions. Through these rhetorical devices, the writer is able to explain the circumstances which led him to give the interview.

To explain the circumstances in which Billy got arrested, Billy’s father describes the events that led to his arrests: “The first time Billy was arrested, it was bec…

...

Explain how Billy’s parents react to his behavior

Billy’s father uses an idiom to show how difficult life at home has become for all the members of the family: “This last year has been a living hell for all of us.” (p. 103, ll. 1-2)

To explain why he understands Billy’s drinking and to portray himself as an open-minded father, the writer shares his own experience as a teenager using drugs and admits to sharing this detail with Billy (p. 103, ll. 10-13).

Billy misses his classes, which forces his parents to “drag him out of bed every …