Rhetorical Strategies

• Imagery- “ His face was that of a gross Cupid, the features even but the bow-shape lips thickly sensual, the dimpled cleft chin in some curious way obscene” (Puzo 15).
• Simile- “He was built as powerfully as a bull” (Puzo 15).
• Appositive- “He, Amerigo Bonasera, would lay down his life for the blessed Godfather” (Puzo 67)
• Rhetorical question- “Did Jack Woltz have the balls to risk everything, to run the chance of losing all on a matter of principle, on a matter of honor; for revenge?” (Puzo 67).
• Personification- “Genco Abbandando had run a long race with death” (Puzo 46).

The Godfather is a book about a Sicilian family living in New York, The head of their household being Don Vito Corleone. The author of this book, Mario Puzo, writes this book in a very bland, blunt and serious style. The book is written in the third person so it is told from a non-bias view. The reader can see the style of the author from his use of rhetorical strategies. His imagery shows his style because he talks from a third person and is very serious. His use of other rhetorical strategies demonstrates Puzo’s style. The author’s use of language from formal to informal and sentences from long to short and choppy show his blunt style.