Which literary technique involves a character's emotional state being expressed through exaggerated statements?

• A. Metaphor
• B. Hyperbole
• C. Personification
• D. Irony

Answer: (B)

The correct choice is hyperbole, which is a literary technique that uses exaggerated statements or claims that are not meant to be taken literally. Hyperbole serves to create emphasis or to provoke strong feelings in the reader. For example, when a character describes their feelings by saying, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” they are not literally suggesting they could consume an entire horse; instead, they are emphasizing just how hungry they feel, allowing readers to connect more deeply with the character's emotional state.

In contrast, metaphor is a technique that involves a direct comparison between two unrelated things without using "like" or "as," while personification attributes human qualities to non-human entities. Irony, on the other hand, involves a contrast between expectation and reality, often highlighting contradictions in a way that can be humorous or poignant.