Investigating Rhetorical Devices in Men and Women's English Diaries

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the stylistic aspects of diaries written by both men and women. The problem of the study lies in the difference between men and women in the way they express their thoughts and feelings. Therefore, the study attempts at showing the stylistic features which demonstrate the differences found in the diaries written by men and women as far as rhetorical devices are concerned. To achieve these aims, the study hypothesizes that rhetorical devices are more frequently used by women than by men. The data collected include ten diaries, five of which belong to men and the other five belong to women. To carry out the stylistic analyses as regards the data, the study has adopted Leech and Short's model with some modifications made on it to be more appropriate for the purpose of the study. It is found here that women use more rhetorical devices than men