Time Holds Us and Mold Us (Metaphor)
At the beginning of the novel, Tony introduces the theme of time's instability with this statement: "We live in time— it holds us and molds us—but I never felt I understood it very well." In this metaphor, Tony speaks of the concept of time as a physical force responsible for carrying and shaping human lives. With this comparison, Tony emphasizes the authority time has in determining one's life, even as it remains invisible and difficult to comprehend.
Holding Pen (Simile)
When reflecting on his adolescent rebellions against conformist society, Tony says, "In those days, we imagined ourselves as being kept in some kind of holding pen, waiting to be released into our lives. ... How were we to know that our lives had in any case begun, that some advantage had already been gained, some damage already inflicted? Also, that our release would only be into a larger holding pen, whose boundaries would be at first undiscernible." In this simile, Tony emphasizes his adolescent sense of confinement by comparing his high school to a gated pen used to contain livestock. He then extends the comparison, commenting on how middle-class adult life in England was like another, larger pen, and there was no unconstrained space to be released into.
At Sea With Her (Metaphor)
During his recollection of his uncomfortable visit to Veronica's family home in Kent, Tony relates how her mother, Sarah, warns him not to let Veronica get away with too much. When she won't elaborate, Tony says, "So in the end I was almost as much at sea with her as with the rest of them, though at least she appeared to like me." In this metaphor, Tony uses the phrase "at sea" to illustrate his remoteness from Veronica's family, bringing to mind a person struggling to stay afloat in the ocean, miles out from the safety of shore.
Undoused Fire (Metaphor)
Over lunch with his ex-wife, Tony discusses his frustration with Veronica as she refuses to hand over Adrian's diary. Margaret suspects something else is going on, and asks, "Sure there isn’t some… undoused fire in your breast, Mr Webster?" In this metaphor, Margaret likens the rekindling of romantic or sexual feelings to a fire in Tony's chest that has never been extinguished.
The Tape Runs, The Usual Stuff Spools Out (Metaphor)
Toward the end of the novel, Tony returns to his reflections on the nature of memory: "For years you survive with the same loops, the same facts and the same emotions. I press a button marked Adrian or Veronica, the tape runs, the usual stuff spools out." In this metaphor, Tony likens the recollection of specific memories to pressing physical buttons in his brain that activate film loops of image and sound. With this comparison, Tony makes the intangible process of reviewing one's memory to the tangible action of playing a video cassette tape.
