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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
Metaphors
Explanation and Analysis:
"The Rocking-Horse Winner" contains an interesting extended metaphor comparing materialism to religion and money itself to a kind of deity. This extended metaphor is foundational to the characters' anxieties surrounding money and material possessions. The house's whispers, analogous both to social pressure and greedy human instinct, are akin to the voice of God: Paul, in particular, does the house's bidding without question, as an acolyte might follow the word of his or her god.
When asked by Paul why some people are lucky and others unlucky, Hester replies:
"I don't know. Nobody ever knows why one person is lucky and another unlucky . . . Perhaps God! But he never tells."
Related Themes:
