Joe Meno's Hairstyles Of The Damned

The Style of Writing Writing has a way of speaking uniquely and appealing in different ways to people across the world. When we read these pieces of literature, it can spark a burst of joy or a tear of melancholy, but in order to attain these emotions and connections, the writer must use techniques to draw the reader in. These strategies and rhetorical devices must absorb the reader, heart and mind, into the book so they can make a connection of their own and, ultimately, the book can illustrate its message. Joe Meno uses some of these rhetorical devices in his own novel, Hairstyles of the Damned, to reel his readers in. In the novel, Hairstyles of the Damned, Meno uses rhetorical devices such as common and everyday diction, heart-warming
Meno organizes the novel chronologically by describing Brian’s obstacles and brutal days of his junior year, whether it is his failure to acquire the love of his best friend, Gretchen, or just having a rough day at school for being an outcast. Brian’s love for Gretchen began to trouble him more and more as her feature’s began to strike out more to him and the music she listened to just spoke so beautifully to him. Brian is very persistent in trying to get Gretchen to love him, as he thinks, “If I could woo Gretchen with the right song, if we could go park over by the cemetery and I could shut off the lights and pop in the right cassette, then maybe, well then maybe I’d have a chance” (Meno 105). Brian creates mix tapes to flatter Gretchen and to make her realize that he is the one for her. However, with many more attempts such as this, Brian fails to capture the affection of Gretchen and finds life to be dreary and meaningless. Along with Brian’s issue with Gretchen, he goes through what he considers a battlefield due to his different traits, as well as his likes and dislikes compared to the other kids, what is known as high school. At Brother Rice, Brian did not like some kids, and some kids did not like him, so this led to fists flying and Brian being confused on who he is in the world. Brian describes his fight with a kid and explains his thoughts such as, “ And I didn’t like the idea of being made fun of by someone I used to be, some kid who was scared and who wanted to be something, anything, anything but himself” (Meno 204). Brian is troubled by who he was and who he is, with also trying to figure what he wants to be like. However, through all this trouble, Brian finds himself alive and alright in the end. This conveys Meno’s message perfectly that, in Brian’s case and anyone else with a troublesome life, no matter how difficult life can be, a