Language
The language used by Billy’s father in his interview “Parents Who Love In a Living Hell” by Laurie Ashner and Mitch Meyerson is simple and straightforwar…
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Choice of words
Billy’s father uses simple words and chooses an informal style to tell his story, which is appropriate to the interview genre.
The informal style is reflected in the use of phrases such as: “always on him about one thing or another” (p.103, l.17); “they flunk kids” (p. 103, l. 22); “I’ve done a rotten job as a parent” (p. 104, l. 23).
He uses words with negative meanings to describe Billy, the challenges that the family faces, and his marriage: “living hell” (p.103, l.2); “stupid enough to speed around” (p.103, l.14); “ditches his classes” (p.103, l.18); “so much unhappiness” (p.103, l. 25); “going to die one day without ever knowing what it means t…
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Sentence structure
In general, Billy’s father uses short and medium-length sentences. The short sentences are useful for conveying simple messages and underlining various ideas. Note that the writers chose to use quotation marks to show that the text is a transcript of Billy’s father’s words.
In an example of a short sentence, Billy’s father provides information about the circumstances of the arrest,. He also seems to imply that Billy was wrongfully arrested, because he was not the driver: “Rick, the driver, was drunk.” (p. 103, l. 8).
Other short sentences provide clear information: “We want him to graduate.” (p.104, l. 23); “The other boys ran …
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Tone
The writer’s tone is mixed throughout the interview. It reveals the writer’s mixed feelings about the challenges faced by his family – he wants to remain hopeful but, at the same time, he is not confident that there are solutions to Billy’s behavior.
At the beginning, his tone is reflective and almost optimistic: “Now that Billy’s agreed to see a therapist, it’s a relief. This last year has been a living hell for all of us.” (p. 103, ll. 1-2). We encounter the reflective tone again when Billy’s father contemplates the possibility that he was a bad parent: “Maybe I’ve done a rotten job as a parent. But how?” (p. 104, l. 23)
He adopts an understanding tone …
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Anecdotes
The entire text is a personal story, as it represents the writer’s perspective on the issues faced by his family. However, we also encounter anecdotes, short stories which have a specific message. Through them, Billy’s father indirectly characterizes himself, his wife, and his son.
For example, he states this about himself:
I knew Billy and his friends drank beer on weekends. You’d have to be pretty blind as a parent today not to know that this is what kids do. I was no perfect kid m…
