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When Edmund is reflecting at the end of the novel on his feelings for Fanny (and hers for him), Austen uses hyperbolic language to capture his joy:
His happiness in knowing himself to have been so long the beloved of such a heart, must have been great enough to warrant any strength of language in which he could cloathe it to her or to himself; it must have been a delightful happiness! But there was happiness elsewhere which no description can reach. Let no one presume to give the feelings of a young woman on receiving the assurance of that affection of which she has scarcely allowed herself to entertain a hope.
Here, Edmund excitedly moves between believing that his happiness is “great enough to warrant any strength of language” and also that “no description can reach” how he is feeling. These exaggerated, hyperbolic statements show how deeply in love Edmund is with Fanny. This is an important move on Austen’s part since, at this point in the novel, readers need a bit more convincing of his feelings for Fanny. After all, the book takes place over ten years during which Edmund strictly views Fanny as a cousin and friend. In this way, the hyperboles seek to successfully convince readers of the depth of Edmund's feelings.












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