There are many rhetorical devices used throughout the novel. One major device is the constant use of strong adjectives in conjunction with the use of metaphors. For instance, to describe the comparisons between Alexandra and Jane, Updike says that Alexandra "felt helplessly more conspicuous, large and foreign and female, than petite, quick, impervious Jane. Alexandra attracted stares, and felt them cling, where Jane crossly brushed them aside and plowed on." (page 51)This device continues on throughout the novel when Alexandra describes her need for others to need her and then goes on to tell us that no one in her family really needs her at all, not even her graddaughters, "not even her enchanting little granddaughters, with their long lashes, bright eyes, amusingly expanding vocabularies, and powder-soft, silky warm cheeks." (page 49)
The strong use of these adjectives help to convey the same feelings that Alexandra is feeling and how we should feel them at that time. Another rhetorical device used is the constant reference back to other religions and past times of the ancient ways. On these trips to Egypt, Canada, and back to their home town of Eastwick, the women discover how things used to be, such as how the Egyptians used to mummify and how they created tombs for the fallen Pharoahs, and in Canada how the Candadians treasure their disintegrating glaciers and how they are spiritually invloved with nature and the Earth. They are so passionate about their forests and wilderness that that is the major focus of the trips, both to Egypt and Canada. Imagery is another element portrayed throughout the book. The use of strong diction helps to draw the mental pictures of how their trips and lives fall into place. The use of flashback helps create the nostalgic feeling in the tone and mood of the book.
