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Rhetorical Devices In Beautiful Boy

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Addicted Boy If cocaine were legal, what would the little packages be called? Sweet N' High! Unfortunately, this is an example of what is commonly known as a “crack joke.” Drugs are increasingly being misused and abused. Yet, today’s youth in its ignorance takes drugs as a light matter. It is a different story altogether from someone who has actually used drugs. In Beautiful Boy, journalist David Sheff recounts his own and his son, Nic’s journey of drug abuse. Sheff’s memoir is a haunting experience filled with tears, brawls, and ample amounts of crystal meth. In Beautiful Boy, Sheff, while applying a casual and conversational style, effectively uses rhetoric to share his experience with an addicted teen. Beautiful Boy had an …show more content…

The reason being was that Sheff’s voice constantly changed. When he discussed statistics, he became impersonal as if he was a reporter. When he reminisced on Nic’s childhood, the tone would drastically shift to chatty. His anecdotes about his background, his thoughts, and his feelings all made him sound reflective. For example, he said, “I have held back my tears. But now I knew it was time to let them go” (290). With all these different voices, he was able to appeal to many people. Beautiful Boy was a powerful story that used different aspects of rhetoric to help establish connections with the audience. Sheff used pathos effectively to the point that his audience cannot help, but constantly relate to his situation. Like many parents, Sheff blamed himself for Nic’s mistakes. He cannot help but question his upbringing and decisions. He says, “Did I spoil me? Was I too lenient? If only his mother and I stayed together” (145). He also says, “If only I had never used drugs” (145). Not only does Sheff battle against his son, he also fought against remorse. It is in parenthood where he sees repercussions for his previous actions. If he had not experimented with drugs, he could at least be a decent example for Nic. Beautiful Boy also used ethos as a way for the audience to get an insight on who Sheff actually is. He is first, above all, a father. Sheff loves and cares for Nic. He said he was “enraptured by his child when he was born. I willingly forsake sleep”

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