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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
Chapter 13
Explanation and Analysis—Soul of the Car:
Al, who is an experienced driver and has therefore been tasked with driving the new family car to California, feels a great amount of pressure in his new role. Steinbeck uses hyperbole to emphasize how serious Al is about his new role as driver:
Al, at the wheel, his face purposeful, his whole body listening to the car, his restless eye jumping from the road to the instrument panel. Al was one with his engine, every nerve listening for weaknesses, for the thumps or squeals, hums and chattering that indicate a change that may cause a breakdown. He had become the soul of the car.
Al feels responsible for the car, as he helped pick it at the car dealership and he knows more about cars than the other members of the family. Feeling keenly the weight of this newfound responsibility, his face is “purposeful” and his “whole body” is “listening to the car.” Steinbeck employs notably hyperbolic language here, further describing Al as being “one with his engine, every nerve listening for weaknesses.” This exaggerated description suggests that Al’s nervous system has become connected to the car as if it is an extension of his own body. “He had,” Steinbeck writes, “become the soul of the car.” Through this hyperbole, Steinbeck underscores the seriousness with which Al assumes his role as driver, as his family is relying upon him and he is scared of letting them down.
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