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- Metaphors for War
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- The use of metaphors are an important factor
- with any piece of literature. Metaphors add color to
- creative writings, also establishing depth. A story
- without metaphors is lifeless, unable to compose
- another way to view it. The term for a metaphor is a
- figure of speech in which term is transferred to
- something it does not literally apply to, this helps the
- brain create a mental picture which the person might
- easily understand what the character is feeling.
- When a person finally makes the connection
- between the metaphor and the idea, the story takes
- a deeper meaning.
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- In the story by E.M. Remarque, 'All Quiet on the
- Western Front', you see a vast quantity of
- metaphors to connect the characters thoughts
- together. While reading this book, you may decide
- to ignore the metaphors, by not truly understanding
- the meaning they portray. In this, you fail to grasp
- the emotions that the author relates to you in the
- tale of the soldiers of the book. If you take the time
- to appreciate what the author writes by using
- metaphors the story will be more enjoyable.
-
- Understanding metaphors is not always easy,
- many people get similes and metaphors mixed up.
- A simile is nothing more then a baby metaphor.
- You must be able to pick out a metaphor in the
- story, no matter how minuscule. For even though it
- may appear small, it might be a lead to another far
- bigger metaphor. Through this, the intended
- meaning will appear.
-
- When Paul the main character, refers to the
- front as a whirlpool, this is quite a large metaphor,
- with a deeply rooted meaning. "To me the front is a
- mysterious whirlpool. Though I am in still water far
- away from its centre, I feel the whirl of the vortex
- sucking me slowly, irresistibly, inescapably into
- itself" (Ch.4,Pg55) This is saying that though he is
- not even close to the front, he still feels the effects
- from his position. It creates the mental picture that
- Paul is a boat in a large ocean, and far in the
- distance the whirlpool is barely seen on the horizon.
- Though slowly, maybe without him even realizing it,
- he is being pulled towards the whirlpool. This is an
- example of a metaphor and the mental images it
- creates to help people understand the book.
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- The author also has a cage represent the front,
- "The front is a cage in which we must await fearfully
- whatever may happen. We lie under the network or
- arching shells and live in the suspense of
- uncertainty. Over us, Chance hovers. If a shot
- comes, we can duck, that is all: we neither know nor
- can determine where it will fall" (Ch.6,Pg101). This
- is saying that the front is no different from a prison,
- not really protecting the soldiers from the danger.
- Also that it is nothing more the a cage of chance,
- you may live you may die, you have to choice, only
- chance. Humans may believe in chance but not
- depend on it. With this metaphor, it describes the
- how harsh the front can be, creating a image of a
- bird in a cage. With these metaphors the front
- begins to take shape and become more real to the
- senses.
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- Metaphors help the reader produce a sense of
- realism, which having the absence of metaphors,
- you lose. If a someone's writing wants to be the
- best, it must have a good usage of metaphors,
- strategic placed, but if you abuse the function of a
- metaphor, it horribly disfigures the work of the
- author. People must realize to look past the shell of
- the metaphor discovering its deeper meaning, like
- the human, you must see past the way they look
- and find what they truly are, only then will you be
- able to understand them truly.
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