To me, a metaphor is a comparison made in a sentence that is not between two objects one would think of as being associated. This creates that association between or that connection between two previously unassociated objects. This new association helps readers relate the described concepts and can create a branching-off point for more associations. In school, I was always taught that a simile would use the words “like” or “as” to form a comparison and that a metaphor would not. While that was the rule for telling the difference between them, I don’t believe language is always so black and white. However, I think similes’ reliance on “like” and “as” really helps to emphasize the similarities between Concepts, while the use of “be” verbs and just the lack of direct comparison kind of help to create a more subtle image with a metaphor.
The metaphor I chose from Sula is “wet light” From the scene of Plum’s death. In this part of the story, Eva throws kerosene on Plum to burn him alive. The wet light in the scene is the kerosene pouring on him, invoking this imagery of baptism. When babies are little, they have water poured on them much in the same way Eva is pouring kerosene. This metaphor emphasizes that Plum is not getting better, and his baptism by fire is Eva’s way of letting him free from the horrors of war and everything else. The way this scene is written is chilling, as you can just get a sense of peace from Plum. This metaphor especially has a sense of irony as it invokes the image of a peaceful, happy new life being brought into the world (because baptisms are usually done on babies) when in reality, it is being used to portray a horrific death. This opposition creates tension and adds depth to the scene for the reader.