Entry #13: Hyperbole

"A moment went by, and then every cell in Billy's body shook him with ravenous gratitude and applause."
Needless to say, but I've never felt my cells shake from a spoonful of syrup. This is an example of a hyperbole. A hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses an incredible exaggeration or overstatement, for effect.


I see no shaking.

Vonnegut uses this simple overstatement to stress the severity of malnutrition that was evident in the slaughterhouse, yet another example of the cruelties of war. The bodies of the soldiers were lacking vitamins that were key to survival so much to the point that they could feel it in their cells that they were getting the vitamins that they needed. Now, if Pilgrim literaly felt his cells shake and say, "Thank you", I think Tralfamadorians aren't his biggest problem anymore.