Dombey And Son Rhetorical Devices

Humans, prideful creatures, tend to think of only themselves. Their selfish nature causes suffering to themselves and to others as well. This self-centered mentality creates many deep family problems. Dombey wishes his son to turn like him even without his consent or even considering his feelings. In the passage, the descriptions of the egocentric Dombey and the victimized and pitied son and Mrs. Dombey shows the authors disappointing and cynical attitude that the reader reciprocates as well. The author uses the objectification of the son’s name, natural imagery, repetition, and gaudy descriptions to express their feelings of annoyance and disapproval towards the vain and naïve Dombey. The objectification of Paul’s name shows Dombey’s egocentricity.

Nothing is more important than them because everything revolves around them. This childlike thought leads the reader to understand Dombey’s thoughts and disliking his naïve and selfish character. The writer also includes repetition of Dombey’s name to show his discontent attitude towards Dombey. Dombey regards everything to himself. He continuously repeats “Dombey and Son” to the point normal abbreviations that have nothing to do with him, have everything to do with himself. To him A.D no longer meant “anno Domini, but stood for anno Dombei- and Son.” Dombey explain this year got baptized as the year of Dombey and of Son. He himself stood for everything and everything related back to him. Dombey’s obsession with his name makes him a very unlikable character. The fact that it revolves around himself makes the reader feel pity towards his naïve character and annoyance at his overwhelming pride. This character trait a turn off for most people, especially to the author who illustrates their dislike towards him. The gaudy imagery represents his shallowness and increases the dislike towards Dombey. Dombey “jingles” his “heavy gold watch-chain” on his “trim blue coat.” The author describes Dombey like

Dombey. Dombey’s son, Paul, is “analogous to that of a muffin.” “It was essential to toast him brown,” just like a muffin, but this comparison takes a whole other meaning. Dombey bakes his son to turn him into him. Like Dombey’s father, Dombey wants to raise Paul like himself. Dombey will end up eating the boy by controlling his every move; what he wants to do, what he wants to learn. The thought that he ends up like his father, a selfish and self-centered person with and immense ego, disappoints and warns off the reader. The author’s cynical attitude expressed that this pure and innocent boy will end up like his father, creating both hate and pity towards the child: hate that he will end up like his eccentric father and pity for his corrupted innocence. Juxtaposition is also used to compare both Dombey and Paul. Dombey was “rather bald, rather red” and the son was “very bald, and very red.” Right from the start the author explains that Paul looks like his father in their appearances and hints that in the future their personalities and mentality will merge. Dombey corrupting his son makes the reader feel sympathy towards Paul turning from “very” innocent to “rather” selfish. Through the comparison the author expresses their pessimistic attitude towards the son and what his future will bring, Paul converting into