DWC Quiz Throughout the 1st part of Devil in The White City persuasion is used often, although not always so keen to the eye. Holmes’s use of persuasion to lure his innocent victims to their death is a persuasion only attainable by the ethos that Holmes uses with his great façade; convincing others he is a reputable doctor. Persuasion can be found heavily in the way the architects communicate with clients to get the big jobs, architects: Mckim, Mead, White, and especially Burnham, have a way with words as well as statics of past jobs that make their rhetoric spot on. When Holmes created his new pharmacy he gained attention from several customers. Word got out that he was an intelligent, handsome, stunning young man that made his profession seem even more appealing. Persuading customers about his legitimacy and his experience proved no problem for Holmes as he was a certified physician. When persuasion is used correctly one may get their audience to do anything they want them to do.
Rhetoric is defined as "the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, esp. the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques."