Metaphor as Tone
Right from the opening words in the opening paragraphs on the opening page, the overarching tone of this book is established. The author takes little advantage of warming to the set-up to get right down to the business. Take heed, because the metaphor here describes the story and quite a bit of the experience of reading the story. Note that this is not a criticism; the story is intended to produce this effect for ideological purpose:
“The sky before me has been has gray as my spirit these days.”
Sex and Sin
In describing her childhood in close quarters to the rest of the family, the narrator offers insight into the proximity of sexuality under such circumstances. Little surprise that the whole concept engenders negative emotional reactions:
“Even when my little brother was about to be born, we children were hurried off to another farmhouse, and secrecy and shame settled like a clammy rag over everything.”
Darkness
In a novel in which the spirit of the protagonist is as gray as the world in which she moves, one can bet that darkness will be a metaphorical image at least once. And, indeed, that prediction proves prescient. However, unlike many novels of the 20th century—in which collectively darkness is the single most omnipresent metaphorical image—darkness is engaged even more often in literal terms in this particular instance. Still, it does manage to sneak into the story under the cover of metaphor:
“So went my sister into the darkness. And I remained behind in what is called light.”
A Real Place
In the following example of metaphorical imagery, the narrator discusses a place that sounds like it must be made up. But, in fact, it is quite real—as any view of the 1970’s sitcom Barney Miller can attest, much less inhabitants of New York City:
“The Tombs jail—called so by some man of grim humor. And the name has clung. Its sullen gray walls loom within ten minutes of Wall Street. It is the shadow of Wall Street, for it is the detaining place for those who are poor and commit crimes because they are poor.”
Introducing Helen: Metaphor-Naming Girl!
The narrator briefly introduces the reader to a teenager named a Helen, a girl of fierce independence and a desire to learn. But she goes one step further than acquisition of knowledge: she puts what has been apprehended into use, even if it is more creative than genuinely applicable:
“She would learn some new, long word, and the use it on me: `You’re an insurrection,’ or `You’re a pillage,’ or `You’re an unornamented freckled-faced snicklefritz`’”
