Previous
Genre
Definition of Hyperbole
Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements are usually quite obvious exaggerations intended to emphasize a point... read full definition
Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements are usually quite obvious exaggerations... read full definition
Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements... read full definition
Chapter 38
Explanation and Analysis—Stoic Indian:
As he rises to the NHL, Saul leaves his Moose team and Manitouwadge behind but not the racist stereotypes. When the spectators aren’t hurling insults or jeers, the press does the work for them. Saul surveys the hyperbole of the headlines:
But the press would not let me be. When I hit someone, it wasn't just a bodycheck; I was counting coup. When I made a dash down the ice and brought the crowd to their feet, I was on a raid. If I inadvertently high-sticked someone during a tussle in the corner, I was taking scalps. When I did not react to getting a penalty, I was the stoic Indian.
The stories—sensationalized, tactless, and crude—are exaggerated to the point of nuisance. Through the headlines, the novel stages an exhibition of hyperbole’s abuses. Saul’s bodychecks become acts of “counting coup[s].” His high-sticks transform into “taking scalps,” and his dashes down the ice are “raid[s],” invoking racist stereotypes that portray Indigenous people as violent and primitive. The newspapers leave no offense unnoticed—even his calm demeanor gets twisted into “Indian” stoicism—and to nauseating effect. The press’s tabloid-esque treatment demeans Saul for his Indigenous identity. Its stereotypes are cruel reminders of his inferiority, and all perpetuated under the guise of good humor.
Related Themes:
