Hyperbole In Long Way Down By Jason Reynolds

In his novel Long Way Down, author Jason Reynolds explores a community of "the broken" where bloodshed is essentially normalized, where all live by a set of rules that must never be disobeyed: no crying, no snitching, and always take revenge. Reynolds's purpose is to emphasize the significance of gun violence and its effect on the victims who must suffer its consequences because it provokes internal conflicts such as guilt, depression, and revenge. He uses hyperbole, imagery, and symbolism to adopt a mournful, enraging, and devastating tone to convince readers in similar circumstances to Will always to persevere because revenge will only produce another bitter and anguished individual.

Reynolds uses hyperbole in his novel to highlight the

On the elevator, only one young girl was present in the crowd of older men, Dani. According to Will, her appearance comprised "Flower dress. / Low heels. / Light makeup, / lip gloss, / cheek stuff" (Reynolds 5-9). She was his childhood best friend back when they were eight, and they were always at the playground together. One day, she got killed by a nearby shootout while they were playing, which ultimately altered Will's entire childhood and life. It impelled Shawn to teach him about the "rules "and adulthood because his childhood was already beginning to collapse on itself. The reason is that he just witnessed his best friend dying in front of him and described it as, "Her eyes wide, / the brightness dimming. / Her mouth, open. / Bubble gym / and blood" (Reynolds 11-14). Then, from that day on, Will continued to follow the footsteps of his male figures and acted like he was tough, despite still being in his adolescence. His innocence appeared to resurface shortly after Shawn's death when he reveals, "I felt like crying / which felt like / another person / trapped behind my face / tiny fists punching / the backs of my eyes" (Reynolds 1-6). The person is his younger self, fighting back for his independence against these rules that

One of the most prevalent symbols in the novel was undoubtedly the elevator. At first glance, it may seem like Will is stuck in a regular elevator shaft, but it also portrays him being trapped in this eternal cycle of violence stemming from "the rules," which subsequently concludes in a great deal of grief and remorse. It can be evident once Will steps on the elevator since each floor introduces new and dead characters, who all tragically fell victim to gun violence. These ghosts greatly influenced Will because they could sway his decision by revealing their personal stories and experience with revenge, which roots back to earlier generations. For years, there has been a continuation of these certain sets of "rules" that are taught from fathers to sons, brothers, and even friends: no crying, no snitching, and always getting revenge. In addition, Reynolds expanded on the concept of revenge by explaining, "If someone you love gets killed, / find the person who killed / them and kill them¨ (Reynolds 1-6). For example, on the fifth floor, Will learns that his Uncle Mark was a hustler and got shot by a competing rival. So his dad attempted to avenge Uncle Mark, but it turned out that he shot the wrong guy, and he joined his brother in the end, leaving his family without a loving father and husband. Ergo, Will has second