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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
Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—Bottling the Moment:
In Chapter 3 of The Nightingale, Vianne's husband, Antoine, finds himself called to war to fight for France against the German Army. Vianne has no choice but to let him go, but she does so at the cost of heartbreak and a splitting of her carefully-protected family unit. To illustrate the impact of Antoine's departure on Vianne, Hannah crafts a metaphor for the sense of safety Antoine provides:
He stood up slowly and took her in his arms. She wanted to bottle how safe she felt in this moment, so she could drink of it later when loneliness and fear left her parched. Remember this, she thought. The way the light caught in his unruly hair, the love in his brown eyes, the chapped lips that had kissed her only an hour ago, in the darkness.
Related Themes:
Chapter 35
Explanation and Analysis—Estrangement:
When Antoine returns to Vianne and his family in Chapter 35 of The Nightingale, Vianne feels relief at last knowing that he is safe and alive. However, the couple cannot simply pick up where they left off: war has changed them both insurmountably, and Vianne remains filled with shame over her pregnancy. She does not want Antoine to know that Von Richter raped her, fearing he will either harm her or others. To demonstrate the emotional impact of war upon Vianne and Antoine, Hannah utilizes a metaphor:
Unlock with LitCharts A+She put on her robe. Downstairs, she wandered from room to room, looking for—what? Her old life perhaps, or the love for a man she'd lost. Nothing felt right anymore. They were like strangers. He felt it, too. She knew he did. The war lay between them at night.
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Explanation and Analysis—Vianne's War:
After Von Richter, a Nazi soldier, establishes himself in Vianne's home following Beck's death, he begins to repeatedly sexually assault Vianne in attempts to exert his dominance. Ashamed and horrified, Vianne hides evidence of the assaults from her daughter Sophie. However, Sophie eventually discovers Vianne's secret and confronts her, to which Vianne responds with a metaphor regarding her struggle:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“How can you just… go to him? I see the bruises.”
“That’s my war,” Vianne said quietly, ashamed almost more than she could stand.” [...] “Isabelle is a strong woman. I am not. I am just… a woman trying to keep her children safe.”
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