Darkness
Open just about any novel written since the middle of the previous century and chances are there will be found darkness used as a metaphor. For instance, in this book there is the assertion that “it was the duty, nay! the vocation, of all the holy Englishmen of courage and true belief to go to where the most need was, to lift those souls caught in the darkness of ignorance upward to the light.” The symbolic imagery of darkness and light represents one of the most ancient uses of darkness as a metaphor. In this case, it is specifically mentioned within the context of non-Christians not being capable of viewing Christianity—in the eyes of Christians—as the embodiment of everything good in the world.
Personification
A very popular use of the literary device of personification is to create metaphorical imagery that enhances the setting. “The flame danced prettily, moving its pert little head all around like a living creature.” Since the entirety of this narrative is set within the untamed wilderness of pre-colonial America it is essential for descriptions of this setting to be as vivid as possible. This use of metaphorical imagery conveys the sense that danger is around the protagonist in all forms, including the unknown.
Unimportance
The protagonist is a girl who has never really known love or affection or even been viewed as something more than property. “She was a mote, a speck, a floating windborne fleck of dust.” This unspoken expression of self-awareness within the surrounding world is a moment of existential angst. The metaphorical imagery of smallness conveys her growing sense of being utterly unimportant to anyone else. This awareness fuels her desperation to empower herself.
External View
On occasion, the girl views herself from a quite different perspective. Instead of looking outward at a bleak uncaring universe, she takes the position of the universe looking toward her. “She saw herself a black and creeping thing across the slick greenish surface of the ice.” These are moments not of existential introspection but of tangible clarity. The metaphor of being a “thing” is not an expression of self-worth but rather an objective appreciation of her plight. Seeing herself from outside herself in this way allows for her mind to be consciously aware of potential dangers and pitfalls.
Ironic Oysters
The mere act of eating in order to sustain life becomes an ordeal and this ordeal often leads to irony. For instance, when eating oysters she discovers pearls lying within some of them. “As she held them, she saw them as though they were in the ears of haughty noblewomen, or strung and lying luminous on the mistress’s whitened throat.” The simile within her fantasy references the irony of where the objects rich people overpay for in order to show off their wealth actually originate. The reality of the simile’s comparison that the same pearls she plucks from the guts of an oyster she is desperately heating over a fire to make edible can become ostentatious displays of wealth is the ultimate irony of her situation.
