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Hyperbole
Explanation and Analysis—Rumors:
In Section One, Marie-Laure observes on several separate occasions the sheer number of rumors flying around Paris regarding the actions of the German army. Some of these rumors are ludicrous instances of hyperbole, as in the following passage:
Marie-Laure sits on a bench beside the mollusk display and trains her ears on passing groups. A
boy blurts, “They have a bomb called the Secret Signal. It makes a sound, and everyone who hears
it goes to the bathroom in their pants!”Laughter.
“I hear they give out poisoned chocolate.”
“I hear they lock up the cripples and morons everywhere they go.”
As rumors circulate about the German army's advance, Parisians speculate (rather hyperbolically) about the Nazi soldiers' intentions. While many of these rumors are ridiculous and unfounded, all the lies have a kernel of truth—namely, the last statement in the excerpt above about "[locking] up the cripples and morons." The Nazis did practice eugenics, which included the extermination of all people deemed "unfit" to live in society. This would have included people with congenital abnormalities along with disabled people. Marie-Laure herself, as a blind person, might have been a target for Nazi eugenic practices. The juxtaposition of truth and hyperbole in this passage only serves to emphasize the extreme cruelty of Nazi eugenics.
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