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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 Sense of an Ending:
The novel's title operates as a metaphor, framing Tony's narration as an effort to impose coherence on the scattered fragments of his past. To seek a "sense" of an ending is not just to anticipate death but to search for meaning and resolution. Tony treats his life as though it were a novel, one that should close with a neat conclusion.
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Two
Explanation and Analysis—Accumulation:
A key metaphor in the novel emerges in the fragment of Adrian's diary that Tony reads. Adrian writes of "the question of accumulation." "To what extent might human relationships be expressed in a mathematical or logical formula?" he asks. Adrian then goes on to use mathematical symbols to represent the tangled web of relationships and responsibilities in his life, as though human experience could be captured like an equation. His writing reveals his rigidity and his desire to impose rational structure on the chaos of human emotion.
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Explanation and Analysis—Remorse as a River:
Barnes uses metaphor to give shape to Tony's remorse and guilt. Reflecting on his role in Adrian's death, Tony wonders:
Unlock with LitCharts A+What if by some means remorse can be made to flow backwards, and can be transmuted into simple guilt, then apologized for, then forgiven?
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