Music
Music is of tremendous significance to this novel. In fact, a music playlist that the author created of songs she played during the writing process that influenced the novel is available. Characters within the story are constantly singing or playing music or talking about music or, in this case, waxing metaphorically about music:
“Remember what I say: music is the great love of the People. If we sing a beautiful song, if we faithfully remember all the words, the People will never abandon us. Without the musician, all life would be loneliness.”
Books
Writers have no need to feel shortchanged, however, because musicians are not the only artists who become worthy of artistic worship. Books are elevated to a lofty status as well. In fact, literature is endowed with a mighty power that through paradox reveals the positive potential through exemplification of the negative:
“Old West’s daughter grew up terrified of her father’s books, as if they held a disease that could destroy a village.”
Thoughts
Both music and writing are recognized elsewhere as originating in the mind. Those who cannot play music and still play it. Those who cannot write can still create stories. Ultimately, typewriter paper and staff notation paper are secondary and even, in the end, unnecessary for the creation of genius because it all begins in the same place:
“The only life that matters is in your mind. The only truth is the one that lives invisibly, that waits even after you close the book.”
Food and Culture
Sometimes one comes across a metaphorical image that seems really idiosyncratic if not downright unique. And then you do the research and realize not only is it neither of those things, but it is intended to take advantage of the simile’s superpower: familiarity. Such is the case with the following example. If tofu is not a part of your diet, this simile may succeed because it is a new addition to your lexicon. If you can tell the difference between extra-firm tofu and super-firm tofu just by looking from a distance then it may seem downright lazy:
“Look at you quivering like a bag of fresh tofu!”
Darkness
If it’s fiction written after the late 1800s, it is almost a literary law that darkness show up at least once somewhere in metaphorical firm. It is just that prevalent. Weirdly, most people don’t even recognize this omnipresence of darkness as metaphor in the modern novel (those written since the late Victorian Era) until it is pointed out. Once aware, however, try not finding examples like these in whatever you’re reading:
“The inky darkness of the night protected her as she put on her favourite blue dress, pinned the rough edges of her hair aside, gathered what she needed and slipped through the front door.”
“The fugue of Bach’s Musical Offering circled in the darkness like a dog chasing its tail.”
