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Hyperbole
Definition of Idiom
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the words in the phrase. For... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on... read full definition
Termination for Federal Contracts and Promises Made with Certain Tribes of Indians
Explanation and Analysis—Buttering Up Watkins:
Near the end of the novel, Thomas, Pixie, and their companions go to Washington, D.C., to argue against the Termination Bill. This means they finally confront the book's primary antagonist, Arthur V. Watkins, who has until now existed as a threatening but abstract presence. After a hearing in which Thomas and the others are exceedingly respectful and Arthur V. Watkins is snide, pretentious, and dry, Thomas goes to Watkins' office "to thank [him] for [his] concern for" the Chippewa people. As Thomas leaves his office, Erdrich writes:
As he left the senator's office, he was thinking, I am and we are absolutely destitute and desperate. This is a sign of how bad things are. I am willing to forgo my dignity to try to butter you up to the teeth. I hope it helps our cause.
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