Illuming light (Metaphor)
The Buddenbrooks arranged formal dinner parties very often, and these parties always were the ones to take an example of. Everything so splendid and beautiful, meals so delicious and always pleasant company. At one of such dinners madame Yungman closed up the curtains and all that beauty in a second lighted up the room with shivering light. Wealthy was everywhere and guests’ eye were pleasantly idling from side to side observing cut-glass ware.
Chasse croise (Metaphor)
At the first sight the Buddenbrooks seem to be a happy family, well before the decline they really were. And this was because of a clever family politics which was build in a way that older and younger generations never were along in their teams. Elizabeth was almost always on the side of her father-in-law, and her husband Johann was always on the side of his mother. It does not mean that they led a some kind of a war between them, but such a state of their inner family affairs helped the foundation of the family not to break up.
Like a star above (Simile)
The author talks about the decline of the family as a process that starts but is not visible yet. He compares it with a star “which may in reality be already quenched, when it looks to us shining its brightest”.
Death (Metaphor)
First death entered the new house when old Mrs. Buddenbrook passed away. When the old lady lied into the bed, and was not to get up again, all the inhabitants felt that something new, hostile and strange has entered the house, a secret that every one could read in the eyes of other; a thought of death has entered the house and became a hostess in its spacious rooms.
To sit on the stones (Metaphor)
When Toni was spending the summer at the sea, she get acquainted with young Mr. Schwarzkopf – Morton. He was a son of a sailor, so did not belong to the upper world as Toni, but young people liked each other and enjoyed the company of each other. At the sea Toni rather often met with her acquaintances from the city and had to spend some time with them. When Toni was away Morton used to go to the sea alone, sit there on the stones and read a book. So between them appeared a phrase – “to sit on the stones” which meant to be along.
