Eating Money (Metaphor)
Albert and his mother are facing financial hardships, and even Joey’s soothing presence cannot counteract such woes. Albert’s mother explains the situation to her son by saying that “we really only need one horse for the farmwork, and that horse of yours eats money” (20). These words are mostly meant to paraphrase the opinion of Albert’s father, yet they indicate one of the unfortunate ironies of Joey’s presence: Instead of producing farm goods, Joey consumes resources.
Horse Religion (Metaphor)
Like many of the other characters in the novel, Emilie’s grandfather speaks to Joey and Topthorn as though they possess human powers of understanding. His trust in the horses only intensifies when Emilie falls ill, at which point the old man calls upon them to pray for his granddaughter: “If you can understand anything of what I said, then pray for her to whatever horse god you pray to—pray for her like she does for you” (76). Already convinced that the animals can feel compassion, the aging farmer attributes culture and religion to them. He is, of course, desperate to save Emilie’s life, yet his words indicate more than a fantastical hope: instead, they reinforce that he sees Joey and Topthorn as the guardians of his family.
Horses versus Machines (Simile)
The scene of Topthorn’s death involves a contrast that shows the stress that had been placed on the men and animals fighting their way through the war. Soon after inspecting the majestic horse, a veterinarian announces that “we should not treat our horses like this—we treat our machines better” (103). Topthorn’s demise was the product of deadly hard work, and it shows how much damage the war effort can do on individual terms. The horses, like machines, are supremely useful—but unlike machines, they can be demoralized and destroyed by insensitivity and neglect. The veterinarian, therefore, is implicitly establishing a simile that war horses are wrongly used as entirely inanimate objects.
The Horse's Perspective (Metaphor)
The choice of a horse as the book's narrator isn't just unusual: it's also a fitting metaphor for our very experience of narrative and the world. As we see in War Horse, horses are renowned for their ability to steadfastly carry humans, whether that's into the thick of battle, away to medical attention—or, indeed, through the events of a narrative. Thus, Joey's status as our "vessel" for experiencing the story metaphorically underscores to us how different our experience and judgment of a story can be—especially a story as contentious as a war—based on who is shepherding us through that story.
Wounded Nature (Metaphor)
The tableau of Joey wounded in No Man's Land, with soldiers from both sides working to free him from barbed wire, can be read as a metaphor for the tragic way in which war distorts human nature. Joey—an innocent creature, representative of the natural goodness of living beings—is trapped and endangered by the perverse, distorted circumstances of war. Soldiers from both sides are able to recognize that the natural state of the world is being corrupted by war, and so—in fleeting moments, such as freeing Joey from the wire—they are able to work together to try to save that state. Yet, when all is said and done, with Joey rescued, the war wages on, just as destructive as ever.
