A stab of pain
Maria uses a metaphor to explain what she wants from her singers: "It's not a note we're after here... It's a stab of pain."
Bleeding feet
Maria tells an anecdote about when she once walked without shoes and ended up with bleeding feet. She uses this story as a metaphor for the discipline and endurance an opera singer must master in order to be successful.
Stage directions
Maria reads out the stage directions for Macbeth, metaphorically describing the way that Lady Macbeth should sing: "what comes out is a cracked and broken voice. A voice in ruins."
Pain and performance
Maria often uses pain as a metaphor in her monologues, pointing to the fact it requires endurance. As such, she uses this as a metaphor for becoming a professional opera singer, emphasizing the sacrifice that this takes.
Maria
Maria herself is a metaphor for the fact that people who are seemingly masters in their field still have a lot to learn. Indeed, although Maria has mastered the art of opera, she is not the best teacher.
