LANGUAGE USE IN BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FEMALE AND MALE SUBJECTS

ABSTRACT The work on language use in brief biographies of deceased male and female subjects was carried out with the objective to identify features of language used by authors in  composing the biographies of male and female subjects. Adopting Aristotle’s Rhetorical theory and other aspects of rhetoric and oratory as frame work, excerpts that revealed the rhetorical features of interest were analyzed at the levels of rhetorical choice and lexical choice.Only a few figurative expressions were found in the material. The study revealed that biographers used language with originality and creativity as rhetors in their composition. The research work produced findings indicating the use of expressions peculiar to female and male subjects. Which is believe can help both the reader and the language learner to know. A rhetorical analysis would ideally make substantial connections between a rhetor’s purpose, use of evidence, awareness of the audience and manipulation of language to achieve those purposes, and the study has achieved these objectives.