Sheep
A young wife during colonial times is set upon by “heathens” during an “Indian” attack. “Outside the fires made it light as day. I saw my kin and neighbours slaughterd, my brother-in-law cut down before my eyes, my cousin shot, his belly slit, they fell on us like beasts on sheep.” The misspellings in this recollection of the event indicate the limited education of the writer. The comparison of being set upon by an invading native force she only knows through such stories told by others is a period-appropriate metaphor. With her education and lack of experience, there is little else she could possibly compare it to other than predators attacking defenseless sheep.
Depression
Metaphors get mixed in a passage in which the imagery is used to describe a state of depression. “She’d known the word `depression,’ certainly, but had always pictured it a bit like a sad but sweet and slightly silly Eeyore, whereas the dark winter cloud that came upon her sucked the very air from life.” The iconic character of Eeyore has become a touchstone metaphor for describing the symptoms of depression and thus is likely understood immediately by a majority of readers. The imagery grows darker from there, of course, with literal darkness transforming into metaphorical darkness so powerful it can almost kill.
Movement
Similes are engaged effectively to create an image of movement through the setting that is integral to this entire book. “It occurred to her that somehow the rattling had stopped, and the truck was moving so fast it seemed as if they were floating. The trees parted like a great green curtain.” The imagery of floating through a green curtain is quite applicable to the narrative as a whole. It reflects the way that the book floats from character to character and from one time period to another. Indeed, each new chapter seems to lift like a curtain on a new act in a stage play.
Lovesickness
The book is structured in such a way that many different literary forms are represented. For instance, there is a poem about a young maid yearning for love. “Thus Cure came to our patient maid / And joy replaced the tears she’d cried.” The “Cure” being referenced here is for the affliction of loneliness. The cure itself is, of course, the love of an eligible knight arriving upon his steed.
Not So Confidential Information
Another chapter is presented in the literary form of a newspaper true crime column. “Now, unlike New York City, where my access to the crimes you have become familiar with is the fruit of a long association with the brave officers of our city, I knew no one in these mountains.” The columnist is using metaphor to explain how he can fill up his column with true stories of criminal behavior by confessing that members of the NYPD freely share information with him. This fruit is probably not supposed to be casually handed to a reporter, but it has proven sweet enough to readers to keep him employed and the cops from being investigated.
