AP. Lang. & Comp.
Period 4
4 November 2008
Rhetorical Devices in the Company Man
The descriptions of Phil in The Company Man are sardonically accusatory of the today’s people live in society. The author makes not a big deal of how Phil is a heart attack waiting to happen, his six days of working and egg salad sandwiches. “Of course,” used several times, render as the acceptance that people have towards intolerable living conditions in order to fulfill the American dream. Like many Americans, Phil is constantly obsessed about his work and whether or not he will ascend to the top position. Through these details author describes the simple, repetitive way that society exists today. These themes are able to capture the reader with an image of Phil’s workplace or family member and ironic situations.
Throughout the paragraph, images of his work habit negatively portray the lifestyle that Phil lives. On the exterior, all seems well because his family lives a pleasant existence. Emotionally, however, his family has missed his emotional support for years. His wife, Helen, gave up “trying to compete with his work years ago.” All of his children grew up in a so-called normal family with a mother and father. Phil himself was “overweight” and unhealthy, obsessed with work and negligent with his personal life. The author condemns the lifestyle that Phil leads by using poignant imagery.
The realistic diction and parallelism describes the sarcasm and attitude that author has towards Phil. The author put her paragraphs together with careful rhythm and multiple beat; she repeats “precisely”, “finally,” and “perfect” three times. The author chose number three because it symbolizes a harmony that includes and synthesizes two opposites and also she wants to balance the paragraph. Phil’s constancy, ordinary life and lack of variation are embodied in strict and rigid words such as “always,” “of course,” and “perfect Type A”. In...