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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
Hyperbole
Explanation and Analysis—The Postmaster’s Laugh:
Near the end of the story, the narrator uses a hyperbole to capture Ratan’s disappointment after the Postmaster rejects her request to accompany him to Calcutta:
When the postmaster had had his meal, she suddenly asked, “Dadababu, will you take me home with you?”
“How could I do that!” said the postmaster, laughing. He saw no need to explain to the girl why the idea was impossible.
All night long, whether dreaming or awake, Ratan felt the postmaster’s laugh ringing in her ears. “How could I do that!”
The hyperbole here—“All night long, whether dreaming or awake, Ratan felt the postmaster’s laugh ringing in her ears”—contains exaggerated language meant to help the readers understand the depth of Ratan’s distress and shame. It’s unlikely that a laugh could ring in someone’s ears for an entire night—through both dreaming and wakefulness—but the description effectively captures how desperately Ratan hoped she could leave with the Postmaster and how hurt she feels at his rejection.
As a young woman living in poverty and uncertain of where her next meal is coming from, Ratan needs the Postmaster in ways that he—as an educated middle-class man—does not need her. The inequality in their relationship comes through in how easily the Postmaster laughs at her. The subtext here is that he could never marry someone like her because she is from a much lower social class than he is.
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