Understand Point of View (8.2.3)
Understatement
A statement that says less than what is meant Examples The sign on the lion's cage at the zoo says, "If you climb the fence and fall in, you might have a bad day." The doctor tells Juan, "Your leg is broken in three places, so you are going to be sore for a while." A teacher assigns a 10-page research project and says, "This might take a little time."
Mukherji
Narrator of A Visit to Europe Finds these Victorian ideas and practices amusing... The disapproval of polygamous marriages The idea that Indian men treat women poorly Non-Europeans are cannibals. Uses sarcasm because... He wants to make his opinions known without being obviously insulting. He doesn't want to insult all British people, since he found some of them to be accepting. It allows him the ability to make his writing entertaining.
A Visit to Europe-Mukherji
The British... view the visiting Indians as exotic creatures view the visiting Indians as barbarians with unexpected intelligence were curious and fearful of the Indians. The British thought... Indian women are mistreated by their husbands. Indian men had hundreds of wives. Indian men were barbarians in their relationships. The British assumed (the old woman)... The Indians could not understand English. Everyone there knew each other. He knew her nephew.
Barbarian
a person belonging to a tribe or group that is considered uncivilized Roots Greek Originally referred to... Any person who was not Greek. After the 16th century it referred to... Any person who exhibited wild or rude behavior
sarcasm
harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule Uses Sarcasm sounds positive but is meant to be the opposite. Authors use sarcasm to emotionally wound their target audience. Authors use sarcasm to create humor in their writing. Examples Johnny has his feet up on his desk when his boss walks in and says to him, "Don't work so hard!" When Lisa turns in her one-paragraph research paper to her teacher, the teacher says, "Wow Lisa, I bet this took you a month to write!" Anna asks Beth to go to the beach, and Beth replies, "Sure, I'd love to lay in dirt and be roasted like a pig at a barbeque!" Examples from the Text [S]he begged me to carry to Jim the important intelligence that Mrs. Jones' fat pig obtained a prize at the Smithfield Agricultural Show. "Do you know Jim, —James Robinson you know of— — — —Regiment?" asked a fat elderly woman, who one day came bustling through the crowd and took me by storm . . . . I expressed my regret in not having the honour of Jim's acquaintance. I shewed my alacrity to carry the message right off to Jim in the wilds of Upper Burma by immediately taking leave of the lady, who joined her friends and explained to them that I was a bosom friend of her nephew.
