Problem: Give a definition of the literary device overstatement, then under that, write, a quote for the literary device (please cite using page number) from Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand, then for the literary device, give the function it provides in the context of the evidence. The function must be a paragraph.
Example:
Allusion: An allusion is an indirect or direct reference an author makes to something "commonly known." Authors commonly use allusions in order to provide clarity to their work. An allusion can either be mythical, historical, biblical, or literary.
Example: "I was thinking of very old times, when the Romans came here, nineteen hundred years ago-the other day" (68). Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Function: This is an allusion to the time period between 1 and 100 A.D., when the Roman The Empire had invaded and taken control of nearly all of England. The allusion to Romans is made by the main character of the novel Heart of Darkness, Marlow, as he introduces the story he is going to share. Marlow's story will span the novel, revealing the story of his journey in a steamboat upriver in the African Congo during Imperialist times. Joseph Conrad's views on imperialism, as well as consideration of his original intended audience, help explain why he would make such a historical reference. First, by having the character Marlow cite this event first before he begins to tell his story, the connection between the decisions of men "of very old times" who were in part motivated by greed, and those in Marlow's present are made. It provides a transition from one period of Imperialism (Romans controlling England), to Marlow's story about current Imperialism (European presence in Africa). Second, the allusion provides an immediate introduction of Imperialism, a major focus in his novel.
Through this allusion, Conrad is able to suggest that the European Imperialistic presence in Africa is similar to the Roman occupation of England; in both cases one set of nations is controlling another solely for their own gain, and pushing their values and beliefs on another. Because Conrad's readers did not have a clear idea of how European nations were interacting with the people of Africa, this allusion provided a relevant example that a British audience would have recognized. Finally, this allusion to Roman occupation of England also serves to directly cause a feeling of resentment towards imperialism at the onset of the novel. Because most of the readers of the novel are English, they would naturally be resentful of Roman occupation of their homeland. By presenting the idea of imperialism in this light, with a negative connotation to the main audience, the reader will already have dim view or resentment towards the idea of one country exploiting the other solely for their own gain. The resentment the British reader may feel towards occupying
Romans can better help them understand how a native Congolese might feel. This empathy, achieved in part through this allusion, can then serve to further Conrad's suggestion that imperialism has numerous problematic ethical implications. The problem is, as Marlow suggests through his allusion, nothing new. Perhaps this is why the ambiguity in the final line seems to blur the time period between "nineteen hundred years ago" with "the other day" (68).