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Definition of Hyperbole
Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements are usually quite obvious exaggerations intended to emphasize a point... read full definition
Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements are usually quite obvious exaggerations... read full definition
Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements... read full definition
Book 9: Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—A Barren Field:
As he lies awake on a December night and frets about his future and the legacy he will leave behind, Father Latour begins to panic. Cather uses hyperbole and metaphor to depict the profound sense of doubt and spiritual desolation he undergoes in this moment:
His prayers were empty words and brought him no refreshment. His soul had become a barren field. He had nothing within himself to give his priests or his people. His work seemed superficial, a house built upon the sands. His great diocese was still a heathen country. The Indians travelled their old road of fear and darkness, battling with evil omens and ancient shadows.
Latour's sense of failure is very present in this hyperbolic language as he lies awake, physically "clutching at his heart." He feels that he has not done enough, and that he will not be remembered as he wishes to be. He’s so frustrated that he describes his prayers as "empty words," a bold and unusual statement for a priest.
When he thinks about his soul, he describes it using the metaphor of "a barren field." He worries he cannot produce anything else, or grow anymore. He’s in a state of spiritual desolation and infertility. Additionally, he characterizes his mission as "a house built upon the sands.” This metaphor refers to the idea that a house built on sand would have no stability, and be in danger of tumbling down every moment. Latour, in short, feels like everything he has built could crash down around him.
Many of these metaphors are hyperbolic—his soul is not really “barren,” for example. However, the author also employs hyperbole to magnify Latour's feelings of failure and despair at his failure to make true converts out of the region’s Native population. He laments that his diocese remains "a heathen country," indicating hyperbolically that his work has not been effective, and the people are still considered "heathen" in their beliefs. The Indians' beliefs are described as the "road of fear and darkness," contrasting with Christian "light." Everything in this scene is exaggerated and split into black and white, all echoing Latour’s extremely sour, frightened mood.
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