Rhetorical Devices In 'Behind The Beautiful Forevers'

In the book “Behind the Beautiful Forevers”, the author used rhetorical devices Ethos, Pathos and other rhetorical devices like – Allusion, Metaphor, Repetition, Sarcasm, etc. to convince the readers. The author used rhetoric strategy - Ethos by highlighting the ethics followed by the main character – Abdul. She also used rhetorical device – Pathos to emotionally impact the readers of the book by highlighting the struggles of the children like rate bite (P-12,91), polluted environment; brutal murder of Kalu (P-165), suicide of Meena and Sanjay, damaged heart valve disease of Kamble, pathetic living conditions of Annawadians, anytime their huts might raze by the bulldozers, poverty, etc. By highlighting the difficulties of Annawadians, good nature of few characters and with interesting way of storytelling (staring the story with suspense and rewinding the story to six months earlier like in cinema), the author could able to convince her audiences. Other rhetoric devices used by the author given below;

Motif – Hope – All residents of Annawadi runs their life on one word – HOPE. Mumbai was a hive of hope and ambition – (P-20); Mirchi, Abdul’s brother hoping to fulfill his parents wish of getting a job in a luxury hotel – (P-13); Asha – her long-term goal was to become not just-slumlord but the Corporator of ward 76 –