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Are "people are dumb" and "mean as hell" figurative language in In Cold Blood, and are they effective?
Quick answer:
In "In Cold Blood," "mean as hell" is a form of figurative language, specifically a simile, comparing a person's meanness to hell. However, "people are dumb" is not figurative language as it lacks non-literal comparison. While these expressions are somewhat effective, more vivid figurative language examples exist in the text, such as similes and euphemisms, which provide richer descriptive imagery.
"Mean as hell" might be classified as a form of figurative language, as it is a simile (a comparison that uses "like" or "as"). This expression is a cliche, or a phrase that has become worn out from overuse, but it nonetheless compares a person's meanness to the evils of hell and involves a comparison that is not literal. "People are dumb" is not a form of figurative language, as it does not use any kind of figurative (or non-literal) comparison. These expressions are not totally adequate, as they could use more vivid forms of description.
If you are looking for other examples of figurative language, there is one in the first paragraph of the book. When Capote is describing Holcomb, Kansas, he writes about "grain elevators rising as gracefully as Greek temples." This is a simile in which the tall gain elevators are compared to elegant Greek temples.
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on a very strict definition of figurative langauge, the cited examples are figurative language but more adequate examples are present in the text ofIn Cold Blood.
When looking for examples of figurative language, we can identify several types including metaphor and simile and also euphemism and figures of speech.
- On page 227, figure of speech is used in the phrase, "Hell would freeze".
- On the next page a euphemism is used as Dick thinks he should have "silenced" Perry. "Silenced" here stands in for a specific phrase like "murdered" or "killed".
- A simile is used on page 224 when Perry's tongue is described as it "darted forth, like the pink tongue of a lizard."
By expanding your search to include euphemism and figures of speech, the task of identifying examples of figurative language is made easier.
Metaphors and similes both compare two unlike things. However, metaphors use words such as, “as”, “was”, or “were”. Similes compare the two unlike items using the words, “like”, or “as”.
Therefore, “she is mean” is not a metaphor. However, “she is as mean as a snake” would be a simile. “She is a snake,” would be a metaphor.
These are only two examples of figurative language. There are other forms of figurative language, such as hyperbole (extreme exaggeration), allusions (reference to something well-known), and alliteration.
Best of luck!