Previous
Genre
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
Letter 6
Explanation and Analysis—Shug's Picture:
In Letter 6, Celie sees Shug Avery's picture for the first time. Her reaction is curious, exaggerated through hyperbole beyond what one might expect:
Shug Avery was a woman. The most beautiful woman I ever saw. She more pretty then my mama. She bout ten thousand times more prettier then me. I see her there in furs. Her face rouge. Her hair like somethin tail.
Celie uses a good deal of hyperbolic overstatement in this passage, claiming that Shug is "bout ten thousand times more prettier then me." While beauty cannot be measured directly with any kind of numerical metric, it is highly unlikely that Celie is so extremely ugly in comparison to the infamous singer. Simply put, for perhaps the first time, Celie is experiencing attraction to another woman. She does not have the language to accurately express this attraction, and thus communicates her feelings using the language of comparison—one of the only tools women can reasonably use to appreciate one another's beauty within the restrictive framework of heteronormativity.
Walker uses hyperbole in this passage to highlight Celie's negative self-image as well as her queerness. Having been degraded and abused by men for so long, Celie truly believes in her own ugliness. It takes a transformative relationship outside of the bounds of heteronormativity to shift Celie's self-image in a more positive direction.
Related Themes:
Letter 50
Explanation and Analysis—Shug's Pregnancies:
In Letter 50, Shug discusses her pregnancies with Celie, utilizing hyperbole to highlight the dissonance between her own priorities during childbirth and the priorities of those around her:
I had every one of my babies at home, too. Midwife come, preacher come, a bunch of the good ladies from the church. Just when I hurt so much I don’t know my own name, they think a good time to talk bout repent.
Shug describes her pain using the following hyperbolic statement: "I hurt so much I don't know my own name." It's unlikely that Shug actually forgot her name during childbirth. This is a figure of speech intended to emphasize the severity of childbirth pain—it dominates the mind and body, so much so that Shug cannot focus on anything else. In turn, the forcefulness of hyperbole emphasizes the insensitivity and lack of care granted to Shug by the preacher and church ladies. They do not care about her or her pain, only about her "sin" and subsequent "repentance." Walker uses this passage to highlight the hypocrisy she views as endemic to the Christian church, particularly in regards to women who have children out of wedlock. Shug's theoretical "salvation" is more important to these church leaders than her very real, immediate suffering.
Related Themes:
Letter 56
Explanation and Analysis—Harlem Children:
In Letter 56, Nettie writes to Celie, relating her experiences upon first arriving in New York City. Nettie's trip to New York marks the first time she has ever traveled outside of Georgia, where she grew up. She describes her experiences through the lens of hyperbole:
There is a fashion in Harlem now for boys to wear something called knickers—sort of baggy pants, fitted tight just below the knee, and for girls to wear garlands of flowers in their hair. They must be the most beautiful children alive, and Adam and Olivia couldn’t take their eyes off them.
In this passage, Nettie makes a hyperbolic statement about the young Black children she encounters in Harlem, asserting that "they must be the most beautiful children alive." Nettie's reaction to these well-dressed Black children reveals something about her personal experience: she has never met a wealthy or middle-class Black person before, and it surprises her. This experience plays a key role in Nettie's journey towards self-discovery and self-actualization, shifting her preconceived notions about what Black people can achieve.
This particular use of hyperbole highlights a stark contrast between the lived experiences of urban and rural (as well as Northern and Southern) Black folks. While those who live in cities do experience racism—albeit a different flavor—urban Black folks have access to information and resources that rural Black folks may not.
Related Themes:
