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Hyperbole
Explanation and Analysis—Nothing Could Subdue:
When Julia is sulking after not being chosen to play opposite Henry in their production of Lovers’ Vows, Austen uses a hyperbole to capture her despair:
She either sat in gloomy silence, wrapt in such gravity as nothing could subdue, no curiosity touch, no wit amuse; or allowing the attentions of Mr. Yates, was talking with forced gaiety to him alone, and ridiculing the acting of the others.
The description that Julia is “wrapt in such gravity as nothing could subdue” is an exaggeration that effectively communicates how upset she is to lose potential quality time with Henry. The intensity of Julia’s reaction makes sense in context—with Maria engaged to Mr. Rushworth, it is Julia’s turn as the younger sister to find a husband and secure a financially stable future for herself. In her mind, she should be the one with Henry, not her sister who is engaged to another man.
There is also an element of foreshadowing in this passage in that Mr. Yates is the only one Julia engages with in this moment, and he is the man who she will go on to marry later in the book. Even though she is talking to him with “forced gaiety,” she is talking to “him alone,” suggesting that there is an opening for a relationship later on.
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