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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 Cage:
In this passage, Gan watches his mother, Lien, lay next to T'Gatoi after drinking from a sterile egg. Gan often lies with T'Gatoi in a similar manner, with T'Gatoi's several limbs embracing his body. He refers to this embrace as "the cage," which serves as a metaphor for the Terrans' overall relationship with the Tlic.
She lay down now against T'Gatoi, and the whole left row of T'Gatoi's limbs closed around her, holding her loosely, but securely. I had always found it comfortable to lie that way, but except for my older sister, no one else in the family liked it. They said it made them feel caged.
T'Gatoi meant to cage my mother.
"The cage" serves as a metaphor for the Preserve itself, which, much like T'Gatoi's embrace or any type of physical cage, can be both protective and restrictive. T'Gatoi employs this caging technique with Gan and his family members to feed them eggs and sting them. Both the eggs and the sting bring Terrans relief from pain, suffering, and aging. They are dependent on the Tlic for the life-preserving effects of sterile eggs, and male Terrans, especially, depend on their Tlic's sting as a narcotic during birth. The metaphor of the "cage," then, represents the dual nature of the relationship between the Terrans and the Tlic—both beneficial and oppressive.
As a political leader, T'Gatoi also protects Gan and other Terrans within the Preserve to ensure they are not wrongfully abused by other Tlic. However, the fact that Terrans are restricted in space and movement—within the "cage" of their Preserve—also points to their oppression. Because the Tlic rely on Terrans to birth new generations of their young, the overall relationship is highly interdependent.
Related Themes:
