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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
Key Examples in A Long Walk to Water
Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis—Millions of Mosquitoes:
Hyperboles—colorful by nature—add force and intensity to some of the most difficult moments in the novel. This is the case in Chapter 8, as Salva struggles through the night before the group crosses the Nile. A swarm of mosquitoes gathers around the sleeping refugees:
Thousands, maybe millions, of hungry mosquitoes massed so thickly that in one breath Salva could have ended up with a mouthful if he wasn’t careful. And even if he was, they were everywhere—in his eyes, nose, ears, on every part of his body.
Related Themes:
Chapter 13
Explanation and Analysis—Trapped in Water:
Salva’s close brushes with death don’t end upon his arrival in Ethiopia. As soldiers break through the tents in Chapter 13, they send the refugees in a stampede for their lives. Members of the camp throw themselves into the Nile, where they die by bullets or crocodiles. Hyperboles recount Salva’s fateful swim across the river:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Salva did not know how long he was in the water.
It felt like hours.
It felt like years.
Related Themes:
