Grandpa Mike
Much of the use of metaphor in the book is directed toward character description. Often that description unites with the prevailing themes of politics and history. Such as the physical delineation of the author’s grandfather, a miner named Mike:
“His face was strong and chiseled like a miner’s version of one of the presidents on Mount Rushmore.”
Hyperbole
Klobuchar reveals a persistent predilection for a certain type of metaphorical imagery that draws its power from hyperbole. The text is dotted with examples of a slight instances of overstatement for the purpose of clarifying situations:
“Almost as soon as we got in the car, the skies opened up. It was not a light rain, not even a heavy rain—it was as if buckets of waters were being poured from the sky.”
You Really Want to Go with “Forces” Here?
Klobuchar’s greatest example of hyperbole may be in relation to a single expression powered by metaphor. The argument makes sense in theory, but the practice calls the claim into severe doubt. Many adults live today cannot even recall a time when the two parties represented in the Senate appeared to be working together.
"however frustrating it is, the labyrinth of the Senate’s archaic rules and procedural roadblocks forces people to work together.”
Immigrants
Some Americans have always had a problem with immigrants. Perhaps it is a manifestation of self-hatred or maybe it is just that some Americans are profoundly stupid. Whatever the case, it’s always been there no matter what idiotic policy the government passes to contain immigration, there is always a way around it. In this case, blame Canada:
“It now seems fairly obvious that my grandpa went through Canada merely to get into our country. That wasn’t unusual in those days. According to Canadian immigration sources, during the 1920s Canada was used as a `back door’ for entry to America when Congress cut back on the quota of European immigrants to be allowed into the United States.”
Overstatement with a Dose of Optimism
The plethora of hyperbolic imagery is indicative of a fundamental aspect of Klobuchar’s personality. She is very much the optimist. Perhaps, indeed, a little over the top on the idea of rosy colors existing in Washington without some heavy-duty Coke bottle lenses:
“It was a beautiful day with a bright blue sky. No coats in January! The Minnesotans went crazy. It was like a bright blue breath of fresh air whooshed through the Capitol as the freshman class of 2006 made it official!”
