Final answer:
Analogy is a literary device used to explain complex concepts by comparing them to familiar ones. An example is likening a computer's CPU to a brain, its RAM to short-term memory, and its hard drive to long-term memory to help clarify how a computer works.
Step-by-step explanation:
Analogy is a reasoning strategy often employed by writers to make complex or unfamiliar concepts more comprehensible by comparing them with something familiar. For instance, understanding how a computer functions can be quite complex. To simplify this, one could use an analogy by comparing the computer's CPU to a brain, the RAM to an individual's short-term memory, and the hard drive to long-term memory. Similarly, the operating system could be compared to the subconscious processes that manage our basic bodily functions, allowing the user, or the 'conscious mind,' to perform tasks through a user interface.
Through analogy, the functional similarities are highlighted while acknowledging that computers and human brains are fundamentally different in composition and operation. This method not only helps to clarify the computer's operation but also engages the reader's existing knowledge and prepares them for learning about more intricate details of computing.