How to Effectively Communicate With Parents: Rhetorical Choices

Parents utilize rhetorical choices every day to convey their arguments, whether it be how they want us to act or things they want us to do. Abigail Adams, for example, utilized allusions, metaphors, and adopted certain tones to effectively communicate with her son, John Quincy Adams. But how can we similarly utilize rhetorical devices to communicate with our parents? 

One rhetorical device Adams decides to use is allusions, specifically allusions to religious aspects like “the Almighty” and “the blessing of Heaven”. I often turn to allusions to communicate with my parents as well. For example, when my parents begin to bother me about my grades or doing my homework, I say that Albert Einstein was said to be bad at school, and his parents’ strict rules certainly didn’t help him. This allusion to a man who is widely known to have changed science allows me to create credibility for myself. I am able to remind my parents that my inability to study 24/7 will not necessarily lead to my downfall. Instead, it’s possible that I will end up revolutionizing the world, much like Einstein did. 

Another rhetorical choice I use often is an appeal to sympathy. When I spend almost the entire weekend away from home, and want to go out one more time, my parents inevitably have things to say about it. In cases like this, I mention the amount of mental turmoil I’ve gone through throughout the school week with hours of homework, being yelled at at work by ruthless customers, and late-night lacrosse practices. I also include that these social outings allow me to energize for the week ahead of the same dreadful pattern. This naturally creates a sense of sympathy in my parents as they think about the tiresome week I’ve had, making them more susceptible to allowing me to go out. 

Parents and children both use rhetorical choices in their everyday conversations to communicate with each other. Although it may seem manipulative to some, I believe it has allowed for more understanding between parent and child, and when used correctly, both sides can convey or obtain what they want.