Metaphor for knowledge
In the time when the novel is set, few people knew how to read and how to write. The ones who were literate were the clergymen and the members of noble families who were wealthy enough to afford books. Because of this, books were seen as a metaphor for knowledge. By locking the books away from the general public, it is implied thus that the clergymen did not want the general public to have access to knowledge. What they wanted instead was to keep the general population in the dark and to make sure that no one contested their power and authority.
The door and the Church
When Adso arrives at the abbey, he sees the door of the church and the figures on it. At first, Adso is impressed by the intricate carvings on the door, showing God and angels around him, dancing with joy and being filled with the Holy Spirit. When looking closely however, Adso sees that at the base of the door there are also demonic figures, mythological figures symbolizing sin and representing unholy practices. The door is important because it is compared with the abbey itself. At first, the abbey seems to have been built for the glory of the Lord but when a person were to look deeper, then they would discover that at times, there was more than meet the eye and that things were not always what they seemed.
The library like a labyrinth
When William talks with the librarian, he compares the library with a labyrinth in which a person can get lost if they are not careful enough. The comparison has the purpose here of highlighting the idea that knowledge can sometimes be dangerous. Through this comparison, the librarian wanted to warn William to stay away from various ideas that could be considered as being dangerous if they are not contained and if they are in the heads of the people who do not deserve them.
Metaphor for lack of cleanliness
The body of the translator was found thrown into a barrel filled with pig’s blood only after a day after William and his servant arrived as the abbey. While it was not clear what the pig blood was meant to represent, it was clear that it had significance for the killer. In the Bible, pigs are considered unclean and , according to the Mosaic Law, every person who touched a pig became unclean as well. When Jesus exorcised a legion of demons from a young girl, he made the demons go into the bodies of a flock of pigs nearby and eventually the pigs died. It is thus clear that the reason why the translator’s body was thrown into the barrel filled with pig’s blood was because the killer wanted to suggest that the translator was unclean and was sinful.
Metaphor for guilt
When Adso decides to go to the library alone, he passes through a room where herbs capable of making a person has visions were put. Scared, Adso returns to the kitchen where he sees a young girl with whom he has sex. The next day, Adso wakes up alone, with an ox heart near him. The ox heart is used here as a metaphor to suggest guilt. Just like the girl left the ox heart behind after having sex with Adso, Adso gave up his spiritual heart to sleep with the young girl.
