Final answer:
A rhetorical question in literature, especially when used by a domineering character, can assert authority and prompt reader reflection without expecting an answer. It helps establish tone and thematic elements, engaging readers and indicating shifts in narrative voice.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of a rhetorical question as a literary device can have a significant effect on the reader. In the context described, where a father adopts a domineering tone and poses a rhetorical question to his daughter, the effect is likely one of assertiveness or authority; the reader understands that the father is making a point rather than seeking an answer.
The rhetorical question emphasizes the father's position and invites reflection on the power dynamics within the narrative. It is a means for the author to involve the reader by prompting them to consider the implications of the question within the larger themes of the text, such as parental authority or communication breakdowns.
For instance, when an author such as Leo Davis uses a rhetorical question to establish tone and theme, or when Johnson uses it to engage the audience in the concept of the Great Society, it showcases the ability of this technique to provoke thought without the expectation of a direct response.
As observed in Howell's poem, the shift in voice through the use of a rhetorical question can mark a transition in poetic voice, leading the reader from a narrative to an introspective or conversational mode, depending on the stanza.