Lexicon Metaphors and Similes

Lexicon Metaphors and Similes

Cecilia's Car

Wil describes Cecilia's car as a "fortress on wheels" and a "tank," which indicates that is must have been very large. Moreover, since he runs to her to escape from his mysterious persecutors, the description of the car illustrates that he considers it a safe place.

First Class

Emily flies to the U.S. first class, which is something entirely new to her after practically living hand-to-mouth in the past. She calls her seat a "first class kingdom," which underlines that she feels like a princess when she is pampered by the flight attendants.

Yeats

When Emily meets Yeats on the rooftop, she remarks that "his eyes were gray and characterless as stone," which emphasizes that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to put Yeats in a character category, which in turn makes it difficult for Emily to attack him with the right set of words.

Talking to Eliot

When Wil sits in a diner with Eliot, he tries to ask him what the next steps for them would be. However, Eliot avoids giving him a clear response, which Wil answers with "Talking to you is like herding cats," indicating that Eliot is a strong-minded and uncooperative individual who is not taking orders from anyone, particularly Wil.

Programming

One of Emily's examinations is writing a program on a computer whose parts are broken. At one point, she remarks that the computers "let you make electrons flow and logic gates close, phosphorous glow and metal magnetize, all by typing words." The computers are a metaphor for the human brain, which, as the poets show, can be manipulated in the same way: certain words, just like a computer program, lead to a physiological response without the subject being able to control any of the process.

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