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Get every literary device explanation for Demon CopperheadPlus so much more...
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Hyperbole
Explanation and Analysis—Ghosts:
When recounting a trip he took with Angus to the home of Betsy Woodall, Demon uses similes, metaphor, and hyperbole:
Angus jumped out of the car with a big smile, walking all around with her hand clamped on her hat like she’s in shock, and it might fly off. Looking at things outside the house, inside the house, like this happy big-eyed fairy in a white T-shirt and leather vest, saying, Oh, I remember this! Which I’m sure she did, since nothing probably had changed in that house since God was a child. I hadn’t really thought before about the place being special to her, like seeing my dad’s grave was to me [...] A dead parent is a tricky kind of ghost.
Though Demon thinks of Betsy's home as a somewhat uncomfortable and formal environment, Angus looks upon it fondly, as she associates it with her mother, who was raised by Betsy. Using similes, he describes Angus as holding onto her hat "like she's in shock, and it might fly off" and as appearing "like this happy big-eyed fairy in a white T-shirt." These similes underscore the importance that the house holds for Angus, who feels connected to her late mother while there. Demon hyperbolically suggests that nothing in the house has changed "since God was a child," reflecting his perception of Betsy's home as antiquated and somewhat stifling. Nevertheless, he understands Angus's attitude, as "a dead parent is a tricky kind of ghost." This metaphor reflects Demon's own complex feelings regarding his mother and underscores the ongoing impact that grief has had on his life.
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