Friday, October 17, 2014

Metaphor and symbol

Metaphor: "... staring at him with her rabbit's eyes."
Tenor- Miss Ivor's personality and appearance
Vehicle- eyes of a rabbit
The author equates Miss Ivor's eyes to the eyes of a rabbit. This metaphor builds a better image of both her physical appearance and her social behavior. If one ever looks at three of a rabbit, he or she would notice it is small, black, and beady. This gives Miss Ivor's a sort of nosey and judgemental demeanor. 

Symbol: Ireland
Tenor- powerful memories
Vehicle- Ireland 
Throughout the short story, Ireland portrays both literal and figurative meaning. Physically, it is the homeland for Gabriel and many other characters. However, figuratively, the country represents either positive or negative memories depending on the character. For Gabriel, it proves a negative reaction; whereas in his wife, Ireland provokes a positive emotion. It has this effect on her because it revives a lost lover  from her childhood. The symbol causes friction between the two characters, and  becomes increasingly when Gabriel accuses her of only wanting to return to Ireland because it reminds her of her earlier love. 

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