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Hyperbole
Definition of Idiom
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the words in the phrase. For... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on... read full definition
April Sixth, 1928
Explanation and Analysis—Jason's Idioms:
During his segment of narration, Jason uses a variety of idioms to express his bitterness and dissatisfaction with the world—far more than any of the other narrators. One good example occurs when Jason complains about Earl, the owner of the store at which he works:
If there's one thing gets under my skin, it's a dam hypocrite.
Another appears later on, when he describes the difficulties of being disobeyed:
Shirking and stealing and giving you a little more lip and a little more lip until some day you have to lay them out with a scantling or something.
“Getting under my skin” and “giving you a little more lip” are convenient ways for Jason to express the fact that he feels resentful toward a world he perceives to be out to get him. While these idioms aren’t necessarily bad—they’re symptoms, really, of Jason’s upbringing, his hometown, and his lack of education—he uses them to mask and aid his cruelty. On one hand, these idioms feel perfectly designed to express Jason’s frustrations concisely and viciously. Because many of these idioms were born of Jason’s lineage, they also act as a mark of his own perceived superiority. But they also have the effect of masking his cruelty. It’s easier to be cruel when the language you use is indirect, figurative, or idiomatic because the effects of cruelty are less directly obvious, even if they're ultimately harsher. In other words, Jason can hide the violence of his language and attitude behind idioms.
Related Themes:
