Rhetorical devices
In their article, Stephen Reicher and Alex Haslam use rhetorical devices to create a connection with the readers and make their arguments more compellin…
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Antithesis and juxtaposition
Antithesis is used by the writers to create contrast between the current approach to torture and the approach that the writers feel is necessary:
We need an analysis that makes us accept rather than avoid our responsibilities. Above all, we need a psychology which does not distance us from torture but which requires us to look closely at the ways in which we and those who lead us are implicated in a society which makes barbarity possible. (p. 193, ll. 24-28)
This is a very important statement, and it can al…
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Imagery and euphemisms
The writers use imagery at the start of the article. They remind readers of the photographs from Abu Ghraib prison and describe the reaction that most people would have upon seeing them: “The photographs from Abu Ghraib prison showing Americans abusing Iraqi prisoners make us recoil” (p. 189, ll. 1-2). This statement could make some readers imagine or remember the photos and relive the negative feelings described by the writers. Readers could have the same reaction as they read about “the postcards that lynch mobs circulated to advertise their activit…
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Direct references and allusions
Throughout the article, the writers refer directly to several events – this helps them support their arguments.
At the start of the article, readers are reminded of the global outrage created by the photos from Abu Ghraib prison (p. 189, ll. 1-3). The photos, which emerged in April 2004 in the mainstream media, revealed the tortures Iraqi prisoners were subjected to by American soldiers. This reference is important as the article links the subject of torture with the most recent events that involved it – the article was published in May 2004, just a month after the photos from Abu Ghraib prison caught worldwide attention.
Another reference is to the 1971 Stanford prison experiment conducted by Philip Zimbardo and colleagues (p. 189, ll. 11). This reference is used because it is a famous experiment and its research subject is very similar to the subject of the writers’ BBC Prison study. Both experiments focused on the psychological effects that perceive…
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Rhetorical questions
The writers also use rhetorical questions to emphasize their ideas and involve readers in the discussion.
At the beginning of the article, we encounter two rhetorical questions: “Surely those who commit such acts are not like us? Surely the perpetrators must be twisted or disturbed in some way?” (p. 189, ll. 3-5). The purpose of these questions is to illustrate the sense of disbelief that many people have when they learn about torturers and their abusive acts. Also, i…
