The Proof Is In the Eating (Metaphor)
At the end of the first paragraph of "A Family Supper," the narrator remarks that it is difficult to tell whether fugu meat has been tainted with the fish's poison until someone has eaten it and had a reaction. Making reference to a metaphorical proverb, the narrator says, "The proof, as it were, is in the eating." The full metaphor—"the proof of the pudding is in the eating"—originally meant that one had to taste food to know if it was good. Ishiguro, however, disambiguates the metaphor by relating it again to food.
Large Stony Jaw (Metaphor)
When describing his father, the narrator emphasizes his formidable appearance with mention of his "large stony jaw." In this metaphor, the narrator highlights the strong shape of his father's jaw by likening it to stone, a hard, impenetrable material. The comparison gives the impression that the father is almost inhuman, more a force of nature than a soft, vulnerable creature.
Furious Black Eyebrows (Metaphor)
As the narrator's introduction of his father continues, he describes his father's black eyebrows as being "furious." In this metaphor, the narrator personifies one of his father's facial features by imbuing the eyebrows with human emotion. Incapable of feeling fury themselves, the eyebrows are nonetheless associated in the narrator's mind with the wildness and anger he has known his father to express.
