Metaphor for the Cyclical Nature of Man’s Development and Rebirth
Being a post-apocalyptic novel it is only natural for stones and rocks to be a near constant fixture in the narrative of the novel. Interestingly rocks and rubble are used not only to describe destruction brought about by wars but also used as a metaphor for the cyclical nature of man’s development as well as a metaphor for rebirth in the way the stones are used by the characters. Francis creates a shelter from the rubble around him and the rubble turns out to be the ruins from the previous generation. The Leibowitz Abbey builds thick walls much, much later on in the novel from the very stones that Francis builds his shelter from. The abbey however is destroyed in a nuclear blast and eventually find themselves as a pile of rubble once again. The novel ends with the oblique suggestion that the character Rachel would eventually make something useful from the rubble as Francis once did.
Metaphor for Ignorance
In the distant future warring feudal lords armed themselves with nuclear weapons to defend themselves against any would be threats. Unsurprisingly the feudal lords soon turned their nuclear arsenals upon one another and all but obliterated all life on Earth. In response to this nuclear Armageddon the surviving population of world revolted against their feudal masters in an equally cataclysmic event aptly called The Simplification. The survivors of the nuclear holocaust charged en masse at their feudal masters, their scientists, soldiers, killing anyone with scientific knowledge blaming the destruction upon science rather than upon men. After killing the cognoscenti of their time the survivors then took out their hate upon the machines and edifices of science. The objective of all this destruction was simple: to give humanity a “fresh start” by erasing all scientific knowledge from humanity. The Simplification is a metaphor for ignorance, total ignorance: ignorance of morality, ethics, scientific knowledge, and ultimately ignorance of what it is to be human. When The Simplification was said and done what rose from the ashes was a new age of barbarism marked by widespread murder, cannibalism, and rape—a far cry from the fresh start that humanity wanted.
Metaphor for Enlightenment and Development
In the novel light—whether literal light from technological marvels like the light bulb or energy created by nuclear fission, the moral guidance provided by religion that keeps men from sinking into barbarism, or the freedom from fear and superstition that science provides—is used as a metaphor for enlightenment and development. It is often used when a major milestone is discovered and mankind is ushered forward into an age of greatness. However the metaphor of light is always used in conjunction with a nearly twin metaphor that follows not too long after reaching a technological zenith: fire.
Metaphor for Destruction and a Descent into Madness
In contrast to the metaphor of light representing enlightenment and development, fire—whether as literal wildfire that razes crops and villages; blind, religious zeal that alienates and breeds fear, or a nuclear inferno birthed by technology that had developed without a moral or ethical tether—is used as a metaphor for destruction or a descent into madness. It is used when a society reaches its zenith or when fear grips a society and it opts to employ scorched earth tactics or genocide as solutions.
Metaphor for the Inevitability of Death
Skulls have been used by writers and philosophers for ages as mementos—grim reminders—that men, no matter how great or powerful they become, will all end up the same way: dead. Ironically, skulls only appear twice in the novel and they act like grim bookends and are metaphorical of the ultimate ends of man. Vultures, in a similar fashion are also used as a morbid metaphor for the inevitability of death.
