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Irony
Definition of Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor can be stated explicitly, as... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other... read full definition
Chapter 18
Explanation and Analysis—Broken Cup:
In Chapter 18, after John Isidore learns from Buster Friendly's exposé that Mercerism is a sham, his physical environment starts to crumble around him. Dick uses a simile to turn a broken ceramic cup into a metaphor:
[John] saw, on the table, the ceramic cup crack; webs of fine lines grew like the shadows of a vine, and then a chip dropped from the edge of the cup, exposing the rough, unglazed interior.
Irmgard Baty thinks John is breaking the cup, the wall, the chair, and more in a fit of anger and grief over realizing that Wilbur Mercer, his messiah, is nothing more than a Hollywood actor performing on a soundstage. John, however, insists that the items are breaking of their own accord. He is merely watching as the cup is covered in webs "like the shadows of a vine" and as a piece of it breaks off. In between the glazed inner and outer surfaces of the cup is jagged, exposed ceramic.
By comparing the cracks in the cup to "shadows of a vine," Dick suggests that the vines themselves are not quite visible yet. They are showing through the surface from the inside of the cup, bursting free. The "rough, unglazed interior" of the ceramic is the source of the vines, and the source of the destruction: this real thing beneath the smooth veneer of the glaze is destroying the cup from the inside out, forcing itself into the light.
The breaking cup is a metaphor for what is happening to John's understanding of reality. He is realizing that Mercerism, the solid belief system that has always "held water" for him, is in fact a surface that has been painted onto something that is far messier. In a literal sense, the broken cup can no longer hold water because it is cracked, and the unglazed ceramic is permeable to liquid. And yet this rough interior, John realizes, was there all along. It can simply no longer be ignored. This is an important turn in the novel because it demonstrates the immense power of belief. No matter what is "really" true, belief systems like Mercerism and human supremacy over androids have given shape to people's lives. When characters like John or Rick begin questioning their belief systems, the glaze on reality weakens. The truth soon comes bursting through, far rougher, sharper, and more fragile than any belief system that can be painted onto it. In fact, once the questioning begins, it may not be possible to collect all the pieces together again into the shape of a smooth cup. All they are left with is chaos and broken bits to sift through.
Related Themes:
