Darkness
Darkness is omnipresent as a metaphor in literature, especially since the middle of the last century. The particular symbolic utilization can vary widely. The very first paragraph of the book ends with a character coming to an existential realization. “I will cease to exist, and there will be nothing but darkness!” In this case, darkness becomes a metaphor covering the entirety of the vast abyss that is the unknown void of the afterlife. The darkness refers not just to literal darkness but to the unseen unknown of life after death.
Humanity
Almost every single character in the novel is a non-human entity. Existentialist philosophy permeates the narrative. One of these entities asserts that “Humanity is a disease that must be eradicated. The world cannot survive while they do.” The metaphorical meaning here is clear enough. Non-humans characterize the entire human species as a viral infection threatening their own existence. The novel persistently makes such negative characterizations about the state of humanity.
The Spider Machine
The comparative quality of the simile comes in useful for conveying the appearance of these non-human entities populating the world of the narrative who are also non-humanoid. “A machine — roughly the height of Nurse Ratched — rose on eight legs, like a spider.” This comparison is effective not only for creating a visual image of the machine. For many people, the eight-legged construction of arachnids automatically induces negative feelings ranging from fear to repulsion. So powerful is this kneejerk response that the author consistently calls the thing that is being confronted simply a “spider machine.”
Ghosts of the Machines
Part of the narrative is the tale of one of the most unlikely romances of all time. This leads to philosophical musing and engaging metaphors. “Be it man or machine, Victor thought, to love something meant loving the ghost inside, to be haunted by it.” Victor is pondering how much machines have changed over his lifetime. The ghost metaphor refers to the long history of when machines did not think or take any action they were not expressly instructed to perform. They are ghosts of their modern-day counterparts who, of course, have adapted to do exactly those things they had never done before.
Loneliness
The novel is, at its most basic level, a retelling of the Pinocchio story. Lost amidst the adventures of the puppet who became a real boy, very often, is the tragic story of his creator. “The loneliness he’d felt — massive and profound — was chased away as if it’d never existed at all.” This loneliness is referencing how Giovanni—the Gepetto of this version—felt for so long before creating the son he had longed for so long. The heavy weight of loneliness that must be endured to drive a person to the point of creating a simulated child is explored both literally and metaphorically in the novel.
