hyperbole-understatement


 * HYPERBOL****E:** A hyperbole is a type of figurative language, and is sometimes confused with a simile or metaphor because it compares two objects; however, the difference is that a hyperbole is an __**//exaggeration//**__. It is a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for //emphasis// or //effect//, and is an extravagant statement that should not be taken literally.

Examples of **HYPERBOLE** in //"Heat and Dust"//: "[Major Minnies] raised his glass to Olivia. "We owe a toast to our hostess who has remained with us in our __//**ordeal of fire **//__."" (90) ---> Major Minnie refers to the heat as "ordeal of fire" to portray the harsh climate of India, and describes it as "fire" to indicate the extremity and wretchedness of the heat. Furthermore, Major Minnies compares suffering through the heat to an "ordeal", insinuating the painful severity of the climate. Major Minnies' use of hyperbole is implemented to make the "heat", which not only refers to actual heat itself but also symbolizes the unwanted impurities of Indian culture, sound much worse than it actually is.





UNDERSTATEMENT:** An understatement is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is; it is a form of irony where something is intentionally represented as something much less than it is in actuality. The purpose of an understatement is not to deceive, but rather to leave a deeper and more lasting impression upon the audience.

Examples of **UNDERSTATEMENT** in //"Heat and Dust"//: "The Nawab said "You have probably heard that we had __//**a little trouble **//__... [i]t is __//**nothing much **//__. They get hot - they become cool again. It is like the weather in its season."" (76) ---> The Nawab refers to the violent rioting on Husband's Wedding Day as "a little trouble" even though the religious conflict between Muslims and Hindus results in several casualties each year. As the Nawab himself is highly suspected to be behind much of the rioting, his blase attitude towards the entire situation and his use of understatement to downplay the violence of the clashing parties suggests his denial of the harsh reality of Husband's Wedding Day, as well as his wish to be detached from such bloody religious conflict. He even tries to blame the entire problem on nature, referring to it as "weather in its season", symbolizing a passing cycle that can neither be stopped nor controlled.