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Irony
Definition of Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor can be stated explicitly, as... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other... read full definition
Book 1, Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Long-tailed Sheep:
Near the beginning of the novel, Mr. Tulliver bemoans the fact that Maggie is “too ’cute” (his way of saying “too acute" or "too smart” in his dialect) and uses a metaphor comparing her to a sheep, as seen in the following passage:
“The little un takes after my side, now: she’s twice as ’cute as Tom. Too ’cute for a woman, I’m afraid,” continued Mr Tulliver, turning his head dubiously first on one side and then on the other. “It’s no mischief much while she’s a little un, but an over-’cute woman’s no better nor a long-tailed sheep — she’ll fetch none the bigger price for that.”
Related Themes:
Book 1, Chapter 10
Explanation and Analysis—Medusa:
In a scene near the beginning of the novel—when Maggie and Tom are children—Tom pays more attention to their cousin Lucy, while Maggie (who has just cut off all her hair) feels angry and jealous. In this moment, the narrator combines a metaphor with an allusion, comparing Maggie to Medusa:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“Here, Lucy, you come along with me,” [Tom said] and walked off to the area where the toads were, as if there were no Maggie in existence. Seeing this, Maggie lingered at a distance, looking like a small Medusa with her snakes cropped.
Related Themes:
Book 3, Chapter 7
Explanation and Analysis—Wakem as a Machine:
When describing the relationship between the lawyer Mr. Wakem and Mr. Tulliver (who was responsible for suing Mr. Wakem’s client), the narrator uses an analogy that contains two related metaphors, as seen in the following passage:
Unlock with LitCharts A+It is still possible to believe that [Mr. Wakem] was not more guilty towards [Mr. Tulliver], than an ingenious machine, which performs its work with much regularity, is guilty towards the rash man who, venturing too near it, is caught up by some fly-wheel or other, and suddenly converted into unexpected mince-meat.
Related Themes:
