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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 2
Explanation and Analysis—Fresh Disaster:
In the very early stages of the novel, Zola employs hyperbole to emphasize the department store's stringent standards and the challenges Denise faces during the “fresh disaster” of her job interview. While interviewing Denise, Madame Aurélie grills her:
‘What shop have you worked in in Paris?’ resumed Madame Aurélie.
‘But I’ve just arrived from Valognes, ma’am.’
This was a fresh disaster. Usually, the Ladies’ Paradise only took saleswomen with a year’s experience in one of the small shops in Paris. On hearing this, Denise thought all was lost, and had it not been for the children she would have turned on her heel in order to bring this useless interview to an end.
The hyperbole the narrator uses to describe Denise's inexperience in Paris as a "fresh disaster" highlights the department store's excessive emphasis on city savvy. It’s a moment of snobbishness, as Denise is from a more provincial part of France. Madame Aurélie and her companions react as though not having worked in a shop in Paris is the worst possible thing that could have happened to Denise. By calling her lack of Parisian experience a “disaster,” the book suggests that The Ladies’ Paradise and its employees have very high, perhaps unrealistic expectations. The phrase "fresh disaster" also suggests that Denise is facing a mounting number of challenges, of which this is just the “freshest.”
Related Themes:
Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—Joy of Action:
In Chapter 3, Zola uses situational irony and hyperbole to convey Mouret's perspective on capitalism and its impact on society. As Mouret speaks to Vallagnosc about the store, Vallagnosc sees in his excited face:
All the joy of action, all the gaiety of existence resounded in his words. He repeated that he was a man of his own time. Really, people would have to be deformed, they must have something wrong with their brains and limbs to refuse to work in an age which offered so many possibilities, when the whole century was pressing forward into the future.
The intense situational irony of Mouret's celebration of capitalism lies in his obliviousness to the negative consequences of department store culture. Mouret celebrates the opportunities and progress brought by the new age of commerce. He believes that his enterprise has only brought prosperity and opportunity to the people of Paris. Because of this, he fails to recognize how his store also contributes to mass unemployment, unfair wages, and the struggles of smaller businesses. This irony is evident in his inability to see that the "possibilities" offered by his store are part of the problem, not just a marker of success. Further to this, Mouret's view that people who do not embrace this new era are somehow "deformed" or flawed exemplifies his characteristically narrow perspective. He can only understand the world one way and can’t see how his actions might affect others.
The hyperbole in the way Zola describes Mouret’s mood adds to this situational irony. The author describes his character as being full of "all the joy of action, all the gaiety of existence" in this scene. This language is highly exaggerated, especially given the topic Mouret is discussing. This overblown description serves to highlight the disconnect between Mouret's perception of consumerism (as something that is only good) and the reality of his store’s negative impacts on society.
Related Themes:
Chapter 7
Explanation and Analysis—In Bucketfuls!:
As Bourras expresses his intense feelings about the construction of the new store and its impact on his life, Zola employs hyperbole and both visual and auditory imagery to emphasize his despair:
‘Can you hear them?’ he shouted. ‘It’s as if they were eating the walls! And everywhere, in my cellar, in my loft, there’s the same noise, of saws cutting into plaster … Never mind! Perhaps after all they won’t be able to flatten me out like a sheet of paper. I’ll stay, even if they make my roof cave in and the rain falls on my bed in bucketfuls!’
The auditory imagery used to describe the construction noise—"eating the walls" and "saws cutting into plaster"—vividly depicts the invasive, aggressive nature of The Ladies' Paradise's expansion. The sounds are violent and relentless, invading Bourras’s professional and private life constantly. The reader gets the impression that the dialogue in this passage is being shouted over a noisy background, bringing them into the scene. This echoes Bourras's perception of the store as a destructive force that’s rapidly encroaching on his life and livelihood. He can’t escape the effects of The Ladies’ Paradise on the Paris he knows, no matter where he goes.
This passage is full of hyperbolic language, especially in phrases like "flatten me out like a sheet of paper" and "make my roof cave in [until the] rain falls on my bed in bucketfuls." It makes the reader understand that Bourras feels that he and other people like him are under siege. He is worried that the store will take away his ability to support himself. He pictures the construction work of the extension as trying to “flatten him out” physically and says defiantly that he will refuse to leave. Zola portrays the success of The Ladies’ Paradise as a cataclysmic event for Bourras, one that could literally crush him.
Related Themes:
