The Last of the Mohicans
by James Fenimore Cooper

The Last of the Mohicans: Flashbacks 1 key example

Chapter 16
Explanation and Analysis—Wounds of a Seared Heart:

In Chapter 16, Duncan tells Munro that he wants to marry Alice, not Cora. Munro takes the opportunity to fill Duncan in on the girls' origin stories, opening the flashback with a metaphor:

“You would be my son, Duncan, and you’re ignorant of the history of the man you wish to call your father. Sit ye down, young man, and I will open to you the wounds of a seared heart, in as few words as may be suitable.”