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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
Part 1, Chapter 3: The Laurence Boy
Explanation and Analysis—Worlds End; Beauty Kills:
The March girls are often quite dramatic. In service of portraying their charming exaggerations, Alcott uses hyperbole. For example, when Beth finally makes friends with Mr. Laurence, who formerly terrified her, the girls celebrate, and Meg exclaims:
Well, I do believe the world is coming to an end.
This hyperbole demonstrates the depth of her happiness and her shock at this turn of events. Of course, the world is not literally coming to an end. But figuratively, the world in which the girls fear Mr. Laurence has ended, and one in which they befriend him has begun.
In Chapter 3, as the girls prepare for Mrs. Gardiner's dance, the narrator uses a hyperbole about elegance:
Meg's high-heeled slippers were very tight and hurt her, though she would not own it, and Jo's nineteen hairpins all seemed stuck straight into her head, which was not exactly comfortable, but, dear me, let us be elegant or die.
Here, beauty and elegance come at the cost of comfort. Both girls find their accessories uncomfortable. The narrator's use of "we" is significant, because it allows the reader to see what the girls are thinking (Meg sincerely, Jo sarcastically) and even has the effect of momentarily including the narrator in the girls' story. This makes sense because Alcott drew much inspiration from her personal experiences.
Related Themes:
Part 1, Chapter 6: Beth Finds the Palace Beautiful
Explanation and Analysis—Worlds End; Beauty Kills:
The March girls are often quite dramatic. In service of portraying their charming exaggerations, Alcott uses hyperbole. For example, when Beth finally makes friends with Mr. Laurence, who formerly terrified her, the girls celebrate, and Meg exclaims:
Well, I do believe the world is coming to an end.
This hyperbole demonstrates the depth of her happiness and her shock at this turn of events. Of course, the world is not literally coming to an end. But figuratively, the world in which the girls fear Mr. Laurence has ended, and one in which they befriend him has begun.
In Chapter 3, as the girls prepare for Mrs. Gardiner's dance, the narrator uses a hyperbole about elegance:
Meg's high-heeled slippers were very tight and hurt her, though she would not own it, and Jo's nineteen hairpins all seemed stuck straight into her head, which was not exactly comfortable, but, dear me, let us be elegant or die.
Here, beauty and elegance come at the cost of comfort. Both girls find their accessories uncomfortable. The narrator's use of "we" is significant, because it allows the reader to see what the girls are thinking (Meg sincerely, Jo sarcastically) and even has the effect of momentarily including the narrator in the girls' story. This makes sense because Alcott drew much inspiration from her personal experiences.
Related Themes:
Part 1, Chapter 7: Amy’s Valley of Humiliation
Explanation and Analysis—The Last Hope:
Alcott personifies emotions to dramatize scenes. For example, when Mr. Davis finds the limes in Amy's desk in Chapter 7, the other schoolchildren heave sighs of disappointment, and hope is personified as it flees from their hearts.
There was a simultaneous sigh, which created quite a little gust, as the last hope fled, and the treat was ravished from their longing lips.
This is also an example of hyperbole because it is a dramatic description of a very simple scene. A teacher finds fruit in his student's desk. No big deal, right? Not to Amy March and her classmates! Their sighs create a "gust" of wind, their hope flees, and the fruit is "ravished" from their "longing" mouths.
Why does Alcott choose to dramatize the scene in this manner? Because Mr. Davis shocks her with his subsequent behavior. The scene seems much grander than a simple schoolroom skirmish; it takes on epic proportions in terms of description. This evokes the emotions of Amy and the other children, who likely consider this to be a major event in their young lives. Amy, whose family has shown her unconditional love throughout her life, has not been exposed to violent disapproval. She commits minor transgressions (like burning Jo's book) but is always forgiven. However, beyond the home, wrongdoing—however small—is punished without mercy. Hyperbole and personification communicate the perceived gravity of this scene.
Related Themes:
