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Definition of Paradox
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar Wilde's famous declaration that "Life is... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel... read full definition
Paradox
Explanation and Analysis—Omnipresent Angel:
Near the end of the story, after Pelayo and Elisenda have built a large house for themselves with the money they earned from charging visitors to see the angel, they allow the angel to come indoors. When describing the angel’s presence in the house, the narrator uses a series of hyperboles, as seen in the following passage:
They would drive him out of the bedroom with a broom and a moment later find him in the kitchen. He seemed to be in so many places at the same time that they grew to think that he’d been duplicated, that he was reproducing himself all through the house, and the exasperated and unhinged Elisenda shouted that it was awful living in that hell full of angels.
In the first hyperbole in this passage, the narrator notes how Pelayo and Elisenda started to think that the angel had “been duplicated,” which is followed by the hyperbolic description of the angel possibly “reproducing himself all through the house.” This is not meant to be interpreted literally, but as an exaggeration that helps readers to understand just how omnipresent the angel seems to be in the house. This is not surprising considering Pelayo and Elisenda's dislike of the angel, despite his patience and gentle character.
The passage also ends with a hyperbole, with Elisenda’s declaration that “it was awful living in that hell full of angels.” Again, this exaggerated (and paradoxical) language of “hell full of angels” is meant to help readers see just how absurd Pelayo and Elisenda’s rage toward and mistreatment of the angel is when he has been nothing but patient and kind over the course of his stay, despite the extreme suffering he experiences.
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