Rhetorical devices
Rhetorical devices are language tools that help writers make their text more appealing, capture readers’ attention and stir their interest. Michael Kamber’s article, “Toil and Temptation”, includes a few such devices that we will outline ne…
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Allusions and direct references
An allusion is an indirect reference to people, events, media, or literature. An example is “the detritus of 70-plus years of one-party rule” (l. 92). This is an indirect reference to the fact that Mexico was for a long time a socialist country led by the National Revolutionary Party.
Another allusion includes the lyrics of a Mexican song: “ ‘from home to work, from work to home’ ” (l. 390) which is about the life of the Mexican immigrant…
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Analogy and antithesis
An analogy is a comparison through which the writer associates events, situations, and people. In “Toil and Temptation”, the writer compares the huge numbers of Mexicans in New York with that of Puerto Ricans. In this way, he shows how immigrant communities create new identities within their host culture: “So many Mexicans have left Puebla that they are called the Puebla York, in much the same way that New York City’s Puerto Ricans are referred to as Nuyoricans…” (ll. 82-85)
Antithesis means creating opposition between people, ideas, o…
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Repetition and enumeration
In general, repetition helps give structure to a text or helps readers to remember an idea. On a couple of occasions, the writer uses anaphora, repeating the word ‘he’ in the beginning of consecutive sentences to bring the focus onto the people he is referring to: “…he is thinking that his journey to New York is a mistake. He is thinking that he wi…
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Humor and irony
The writer uses humor and irony with the purpose of conveying a more causal tone and entertaining readers.
One example of irony is “He has come, he says, because he wants his son home soon, ‘before he becomes Americanized.’ ” (ll. 123-125). The irony is that this sentence is said by a Mexican man who is a pitcher in a baseball team; the development of baseball in Mexico was allegedly influenced by Americans, but he claims he doesn’t want his son to be influenced by American…
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Imagery, metaphors, and similes
As the article is very descriptive, following the daily life and challenges of an immigrant, the writer often creates imagery (mental images) using descriptive language. One example is when he describes the area where Antonio and his brother live and work: “…dreary nondescriptness: block upon block of squat one story brick buildings, stores selling auto parts and laminated furniture, a KFC, a Dunkin Donuts, some gas stations.” (ll. 29-32)
Readers can also imagine the work atmosphere at the carwash, as the writer inserts both visual and auditory images: “…shout to one another in Spanish over the roar of the machinery—the blowers, s…
