Metaphor - The 'Blue Car' company
Being that transport is a main theme of The Yellow Arrow, it is no wonder that the work is rife with transport-themed metaphorical musing. Grisha, an acquaintance of Andrei, is an entrepreneurial type, constantly thinking about his business - a new train company which he dubs the ‘Blue Car’. Said company represents alternative, private lifestyles for the wealthy that are supplied by entrepreneurs such as Grisha. The train, representing life, is crowded with many people and despite its clear divisions of class, is still a dirty place all around. The Blue Car company however, represents everything that the wealthy have in life ‒ they have better living standards, don’t have to comply to the rules of the lower/middle class ‘Yellow Arrow’, and can travel faster, more comfortably. This shows how the rich in life don’t have to comply to the same rules as the everyday workers, and can live longer, more comfortable lives, but will ultimately come to the same end, driving off of a ruined bridge ‒ the ending of life.
Metaphor - The cabins
The class-based cabins in which the train is divided by, while they can be taken literally, also represent the divide of socioeconomic statuses. A quote from page 33: “After that came the sitting cars ‒ strangely enough, the air here was cleaner, and the passengers they met also seemed cleaner and more neatly dressed”, is a visual representation of passing through lower class areas to middle/upper class ones. And again, the book brings up the point that even though all of the cabins are divided, some have less access to things, some more, they are all travelling on the same train.
Metaphor - The death of Isis Schopenhauer
Upon the death of American pop star Isis Schopenhauer, Andrei sees her dead body through the window as the train passes by, surrounded by her favourite white roses and covered in advertisements. The train passing by her body shows how life lingers on the dead for only a moment, and ultimately dead people are left behind as life (the train) continues. Additionally, the roses and advertisements also hold meaning. The roses represent the meaningless tributes to the dead, especially celebrities, of which there are so many that they are all indistinguishable from each other. The advertisements show how companies often capitalise on celebrities, even when they are dead, and also show that what people advocated for in life with also remain in their legacy after death.
Simile - Petr Sergeievitch smoking
On Page 46, there is a quote which reads: “[Petr Sergeievich] always dragged on the cigarette with a slight expression of disgust, as though he was kissing a woman he no longer loved, but didn’t wish to offend her by neglecting her.” This simile sums up Petr’s attitude in life very well; displeased with the situation he’s in, but doesn’t ever make an effort to change anything.
Simile - The tumbler-gatherer
On Page 3, there is simile which reads: “The tumbler-gabler was so old and wrinkled, he looked like a half-dead monkey, and an empty beer can for alms would have suited him far better than the three small plastic cups that he moved slowly around a piece of cardboard.” While this simile works well to create a visual for the reader, since it is through Andrei’s eyes, it also shows the middle class attitude to the very low class, believing them to be so low that they are seen as animals.
