Rhetorical devices

In “Parents Who Love in a Living Hell” by Laurie Ashner and Mitch Meyerson, Billy’s father uses rhetorical devices to better convey his message. The authors also use alliteration (repeating the same letter or sound at the beginning of successive or connected words) in the title. Alliteration makes the title more memorable and emphasizes Billy’s father’s words as he characterizes his family’s life as a living hell (p. 103, l. 2). It also points to the fact that the parents love their child even though he behaves …

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Allusions and direct references

In the interview, there are a few direct references which help readers learn more about Billy and the problems he creates. For example, references to the youth police officer (p. 103, l. 3), to Billy’s high school (p. 103, l. 21) and his graduation (p. 103, l. 23), as well as Billy’s father’s statement that he will stay with his wife…

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Hyperbole, metaphors, and idioms

We encounter hyperbole (an intended exaggeration for a dramatic effect) in the text as Billy’s father describes his wife’s general attitude towards Billy: “My wife says that he’s ruining her life.” (p. 103, ll. 16-17). At the same time, Billy’s father cannot understand what he did wrong as a parent, stating hyperbolically that: “I gave this kid everything.” (p.104, l.24). 

Billy’s father chooses to characterize his family life using a metaphor and an idiom: “This las…

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Tricolon

We also encounter tricolon, or mentioning things in threes, in Billy’s father’s story. This helps him convey a complete message and make his ideas more memorable.

For example, he states this about himself: “I grew up in the sixties, and there were plenty of drugs around, and I guess I tried most of them.” (p. 103, ll.11-12). This shows that Billy’s father lived in a more permissive society. He tried most drugs, which is generally mo…