The Metaphor By Budge Wilson Literary Devices

“The Metaphor,” by Budge Wilson, is a short story about a young girl, Charlotte, coming of age. It begins with Charlotte as a seventh grader stuck between the two poles of her life: her teacher and mother. During the course of this bildungsroman, there are many techniques the author uses to strengthen and amplify its theme of growing up. Through the use of motif, juxtaposition, and symbolism, the reader is aware of the protagonist’s growth. In the story, the most potent motif is the metaphor. Even the title hints to the extreme importance of this literary device to the character. The reader is first introduced to Charlotte when she learns about the metaphor from her exuberant and flamboyant teacher: Miss Hancock. When Charlotte presents her metaphor for the class, both the reader and Miss Hancock are shocked by the maturity and advancement of her metaphor. Also, it is no mistake that this metaphor is about her “perfect” mother. Miss Hancock asks her if she would like to discuss the metaphor about her mother. However,

However, the most prominent symbol in the short story is the bathtub. The bathtub provided Charlotte a refuge away from the cold rationalism that filled her life. When Charlotte talked with Julia (her friend) about how she loves baths, she described it as “therapeutic” and a place for “kids to play with water when they are wild and upset.” This is why it was no surprise that the tub is the safe haven where Charlotte would secretly create metaphors. The bathtub is a place of privacy where one is shielded from the outside world and has time to self-reflect. Charlotte, thus, could freely make metaphors without her mother’s knowledge. However, she had no need to hide her true personality when she finally grew up. Charlotte makes her metaphor of Miss Hancock right in the open because she is no longer afraid of showing her creative