Journey to the Center of the Earth: Idioms 1 key example

Verne uses two animal metaphors here. With the terms “vixenish” and “shrew,” the pastor’s wife is likened to both a female fox and a shrew: a small, rodent-like creature. Neither of these are complimentary descriptions, and both suggest she is not only unpleasant but also predatory, or even malevolent. The word “vixenish” can sometimes mean "flirtatious," but as it's used here it implies that she's sly and untrustworthy. Before Axel has spoken a single word to her, he decides that she looks silently aggressive, tricky, and mean-spirited. The animal metaphors provide readers with a swift, intuitive understanding of her character as Axel first receives it.

There’s another layer below the surface of these figures of speech, as is the case with many things in this novel. As he uses it here, the idiom “shrew” reinforces and deepens Verne’s unfavorable characterization of this woman. Historically, the term "shrew" was used to describe an outspoken, scolding, or nagging woman. “Shrewish” behavior in women was stereotypically described as being directed towards husbands. The term was in common usage until the mid-20th century and has an extensive history: for example, one of Shakespeare’s plays is called The Taming of the Shrew and revolves around a woman who is seen as undesirable because of her uncouth behavior. In calling the pastor’s wife a “shrew” Axel does more than just suggest she’s mean and argumentative. He also taps into longstanding literary and cultural tropes that dehumanize women by aligning them with animals. The fact that the only three female figures in this novel are either solely good (Gräuben, Martha) or purely unpleasant (this woman) reflects Victorian cultural tropes about women's limited roles.