Brains and feet (Metaphor)
“With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.”
To show enthusiasm for the boy’s potential and autonomy, the narrator uses this metaphor to illustrate how the boy has everything he needs to succeed in his journey: his brains (his intelligence), and his feet (his mobility). Our brains and feet grant us the freedom to go wherever we want and pursue exciting, advantageous opportunities. As such, to create a fulfilling life for ourselves, we don’t need any exceptional skills or tools: we just need our essential, but powerful, ability to think and move.
Games (Metaphor)
“There are points to be scored.
There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.”
Here, the narrator constructs an extended metaphor that situates life success within a figurative framework of games. For instance, the narrator claims that “there are points to be scored” and “there are games to be won,” which compares the point-gaining system of sports to life. To score a point or win a game, we must first make an active effort using the necessary equipment, since “the magical things you can do with that ball / will make you the winning-est winner of all.”
Likewise, to succeed in life, we must use our own tools—our brains and our feet—to make forward-facing decisions and proactively take risks, rather than aimlessly wait for opportunities and success to present themselves to us. This passage thus employs a simple metaphor to show the critical role of autonomy and perseverance in the successful maneuvering through life’s possibilities.
