The Secret Agent: Metaphors 5 key examples

This remark displays the Professor's disdain for both the other anarchists and the police officers, positing that England’s “social convention” is inherently flawed. He believes that revolutionaries and police officers alike are trapped within its confines. The Professor doesn’t think that anything but true chaos and destruction will change anything. The idea of “revolutionizing” the “social convention” doesn’t appeal to him, as it would just perpetuate the convention itself. The hyperbolic term "slaves" as he uses it amplifies the idea that both groups are inescapably in service of “social convention,” even if their roles and intentions differ. Of course, neither group is actually “enslaved” by anything. The Professor uses this hyperbole to emphasize how intensely he thinks Britain's social world controls everyone.

Conrad uses the metaphor of the "same basket" to underscore the inherent similarities between anarchists, revolutionaries, and police officers. By saying that “the terrorist and the policeman come from the same basket,” the Professor is suggesting that they are both obsessed with “social convention.” Even if their goals are different, their motivation is interchangeable. Society is just a "game" with "counter moves" to the Professor. To him, the conflict between the police and the anarchists emphasizes the cyclical, never-ending, and futile nature of “social convention” itself.

This simile comparing a London alley to a "side corridor of a mansion" offers readers an intriguing perspective on the encounter between these two men. In grand mansions, main rooms and hallways are the areas where the wealthy and the important interact. They are often bustling with activity. Side corridors—which are quieter and less frequented—are for servants or "side" characters, for the things that go on under the surface of the primary action. Through this simile, Conrad draws a line between the overarching vibrancy and activity of London, and the sudden isolation and quiet of the “side corridor.” It underscores the intimacy of the encounter as a private moment very close to a public space.

Thinking of London metaphorically as a "mansion full of life" allows the reader to imagine its buzz of energy, grandeur, and scale. Conrad draws a parallel between the many-roomed structure of a mansion—huge, usually old houses full of hallways, nooks, and crannies—and the bustling streets, alleys, and avenues of the capital city. By setting the quiet, tense encounter that’s about to occur in a "side corridor" tucked away inside the bustling "mansion," Conrad emphasizes the element of chance that’s always at play when characters inhabit the same space. Indeed, Heat is so unnerved by the unexpected meeting that he immediately says “I am not looking for you” upon recognizing the Professor.

Conrad employs hyperbole to emphasize the depth of Verloc’s psychological and emotional isolation after his dealings with his vulnerable brother-in-law. The description of Mr. Verloc undressing isn’t merely an action here. It becomes an event, amplified by the man's  intense feelings of guilt. The way that the narrator describes him as undressing "in the solitude of a vast and hopeless desert" is a deliberate exaggeration. It’s intended to show just how deeply Mr. Verloc feels detached from his comfortable surroundings and from Mrs. Verloc herself. The sheer magnitude of this "vast and hopeless desert" echoes the alienation he feels. Although Winnie doesn’t know what has happened, his actions have isolated Verloc, making him feel overwhelmingly alone even when he's not physically solitary. He can’t tell her the truth, and so he’s imprisoned by it. The hyperbole here serves to demonstrate how terrible he feels. It’s as if the earth itself is “inhospitable” to him.

The sparse and lonely desert is a metaphor for Mr. Verloc's altered perception of his world after his cruel, manipulative treatment of Stevie. This "vast and hopeless desert" landscape is a metaphor for his life as he sees it playing out, mirroring the barrenness and despair he now feels. It signifies the drastic shift in his worldview; the "fair earth," which once held promise, joy, and connection, has transformed into a bleak wasteland. Stevie’s involvement in terrorism, Verloc knows, will alienate Verloc from his wife and from his purpose in life. His actions haven't just affected his immediate environment but have reshaped how he perceives the entirety of the world around him.

Mr. Verloc's "soft and conjugal tone" when addressing Winnie speaks volumes. He  knows she’s upset, but he’s completely unprepared for the level of vengeful fury she’s about to exert. The reader and Winnie are privy to information that he is not: his persuasive, wheedling speech seems useless and almost pathetic.  While he’s trying to persuade Winnie that they have a pleasant future ahead, the reader understands its impossibility and feels a sense of dread and tension.

Verloc’s gentle, metaphorical language of a future “nestled in the shade” and the possibility of a “life of violets” only builds this tension. Violets are small, easy-to-miss flowers. Verloc thinks that he and Winnie can have a happy future if they remain incognito, like violets in long grass. He sees a possibility for them to live abroad, humble, and undistinguished amidst the crowd. This desire to be unnoticed ties into his overall wish to escape any consequences of his crimes. He’s not just promising this future to Winnie, he’s actively trying to soothe her with the  calming picture he’s painting.

The allusion he makes to “men whose flesh is grass" in this passage is a biblical reference. It points to Isaiah 40:6: “All Flesh is as Grass, and all the Glory of Man, as the Flower of Grass. The Grass withereth, and the Flower thereof falleth away: But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever.” It’s a passage which emphasizes the transience and frailty of human life. Here, Conrad juxtaposes this reference with Verloc's unlikely expectations of living peacefully in hiding. While the biblical context actually underlines human vulnerability, in Verloc's view, it’s about a kind of protective anonymity. He wishes for himself and his wife to hide among ordinary people, which he believes will protect them from harm. His vision is of a new, quiet life, hidden among this "grass." Yet, in another instance of dramatic irony, he doesn’t realize that his own life is in danger. Very shortly after this, Winnie stabs him to death, squashing any possibility of his “firm belief” in “a good few years of quiet life.”

The narrative uses a simile to describe Winnie’s emotional distress, as they recount how "another wave of faintness overtook her like a great sea." In this passage, the “sea” represents the vastness and depth of Winnie's physical distress. Seas are unpredictable, and their waves can easily overpower humans. Like an unexpected wave, the emotions engulfing Winnie keep almost knocking her off her feet. This simile articulates the size of her anguish and how her shock and dismay overwhelm her. She wasn’t expecting any of the evening’s events: it is as if she has very suddenly been caught in a riptide.

Conrad's use of hyperbole in the metaphor of the “sea” "washing away [Winnie’s] heart clean out of her breast" illustrates the profound emotional devastation she’s feeling after killing her husband. The heart is the place where emotions metaphorically reside. By suggesting that the “sea” has entirely and violently removed Winnie’s heart from her, Conrad makes the reader feel the extent of her grief and numbness. Her brother Stevie is dead through Verloc’s actions, and now Verloc is dead through Winnie’s own. While the reader understands that her heart hasn't literally been washed out, this exaggeration makes Winnie's feelings of despair quite clear. It’s also the first hint of the immense weight of her growing determination to end her own life.