Dutiful Citizen of Celestial Empires (metaphor)
In this metaphor, the earth is described with the idea of the planet being bound by responsibility to the larger universe: “He was untethered again from the earth, a dutiful citizen of celestial empires, and riding the solar winds.” This metaphor implies that human beings are subject to unseen and powerful forces that guide their destinies. Thomas feels freed from earthly concerns while still subject to the gravitational pull of these forces. Furthermore, the phrase enhances this surrender to something greater, where the earth and Thomas are depicted as being carried along them. This metaphor conveys the smallness of human experience in the vastness of the universe.
Thomas’s Two Suns (metaphor)
Thomas refers to "two suns" as a metaphor for the two conflicting identities he grapples with: “My trouble is that I have two suns, and neither outshines the other. In Bethesda I’m the worst of sinners, and in London I’m the strangest of saints, and I am never comfortable anywhere.” These suns represent opposing forces in his life: his religious guilt and his secular existence. Neither identity offers him comfort or resolution as he is pulled between these two extremes. The metaphor captures the tension between these competing forces. This conflict highlights Thomas’s inability to reconcile these opposing identities, which leaves him in a state of perpetual unease.
Love as an Orbit (metaphor)
Thomas states, “What moves me on? What moves you? I suppose I could tell you what kind of sun draws me down my orbit, but there must be other forces at work that I can’t make out.” This metaphor likens human relationships and motivations to the forces that keep celestial bodies in orbit. The "sun" stands for the central influence that guides one's life, particularly in love and relationships. Thomas muses that while he can recognize the most obvious sources of his attraction and emotions there are subtler forces at play, which he cannot fully understand. This metaphor reflects the complexity of human relationships.
Animal in Pain (simile)
In this simile, Nathan is compared to an animal focused on a single primal desire: "Nathan…trembles sometimes with pain, or December, or anticipation. He’s steady and silent on his feet—reaches for Thomas, and finds him like an animal only wanting one thing." This imagery emphasizes his vulnerability and emotional rawness. The animalistic description strips away the complexities of human behavior and reduces his actions to something basic and urgent. As such, the comparison paints Nathan as someone who is driven by an uncontrollable force—whether it is pain, longing, or a combination of emotions.
Flies Around Streetlights (simile)
The narrator says, "The rain eased into particles of mist that swarmed about the streetlights like flies." This simile compares the mist moving around the streetlights to flies swarming. The image of mist swirling in the dim glow of the lights gives a sense of delicacy and restlessness. It evokes unease as the flies can be symbolic of decay, which contrasts with the typically quiet atmosphere mist would suggest. This subtle shift in imagery adds tension and reflects the discomfort or ambiguity present in the scene
