a literary device

Litotes is a
literary device
that uses
negatives to
express a
positive idea.
Litotes are a discreet
way of saying
something unpleasant
without directly using
negativity.

Sometimes called an
ironic understatement
- an avoidance of a
truth which can be
either positive or
negative.
She is not unlike
her mother.
Your room is not unclean.
He is not the
cleverest person
I have ever met.
Interestingly, the use of understatement adds
emphasis to the ideas rather than decreases
their importance. This is due to the ironical
effect produced by the understatement.
To ignore an object
and still talk about it in
a negative way is the
best way to make it
appear important and
prominent.

Even though she carried a knife,

he thought it was not important.
In chapter 23 of Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe repeatedly
uses litotes.
 Identify where he uses litotes.
 Analyze the effect of these litotes.