Topic > Wes Moore's The Other Wes Moore: Rhetorical Analysis

Wes Moore's The Other Wes Moore demonstrates a number of rhetorical devices. Prevalent examples are images and prefigurations. Images are visual or figurative descriptions, seen especially in literary work. Moore shows it through; “The Bronx was in its post-apocalyptic phase. Entire blocks were abandoned, buildings blackened and emptied by fires set by arsonists, many of whom were employed by landowners seeking to profit from the deterioration of the ghetto. But then I didn't have many points of reference. I didn't know that drug addicts were still using those abandoned buildings for activities that would leave me speechless, or that the swollen hands on the man leaning against the telephone pole alone - eyes flickering, head nodding - were telling signs of needle injections. I passed neighbors whose eyes filled with despair and depression, people who watched their once-proud neighborhood become synonymous with the collapse of America's inner cities. This aids growth within the story because it allows us to fully visualize the character's living conditions, as well as the problematic environment they find themselves at the center of. It also adds an element to both of the main themes, growth and success. This places the character in a context of drugs and strong gang presence, applying greater and different pressures than the average child would face. Instead, this emphasizes the theme of the success the character achieves in his life. Just like imagery, foreshadowing is a frequent rhetorical device within the novel. Wes Moore presents it through; “He knew what the game was, the same game that had consumed Tony and put a bullet or two in him. The same game that Tony continually urged Wes to stay out of. But Wes rationalized. I don't sell drugs... He didn't bother to think about Tony's warnings that no matter what job or position one took within it, this was a forever game.' This example allows the author to influence the growing theme through the rhetorical device of foreshadowing. The quote helps us hypothesize the next point in the story. Foreshadowing, allows for a plausible guess at the future of the story. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayAdding to the copious amount of rhetorical devices seen in, The Other Wes Moore, there are allusions and metaphors. Even though some are only seen a couple of times over the course of the film, they still help the style in the novel. Wes Moore presents the allusion; “It was The Shawshank Redemption and I was Andy Dufresne.” The allusion is also shown; “Just recently, after my first encounter with the movie The Godfather, I pulled a Sonny Corleone and flew out the door to find Latishia.” The author used allusion by drawing an analogy with a fictional character and his personality. In this way he indirectly leads the reader down a path to draw conclusions about who he is as a person. This helps give a deeper meaning to the story, as well as enriching the style of the novel. This is also brought into the novel by the use of metaphors; “In West Baltimore, white people were a rare sight, so White Boy bore the brunt of constant teasing. Even though they made fun of him for it, they loved him. Wes always said, "The only white thing about him is his skin." Everything else is black. He's a real black boy.'” The quote shows how stereotypes and expectations are broken and not followed for many reasons. For example, this shows that the white boy in the story, even though the color of his..