Metaphorical Analysis of Thomas Wolfe’s Short Story ‘Only the Dead Know Brooklyn’

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An analysis of metaphor can offer us insight into the deeper meaning within literature. As almost nothing is directly revealed regarding its nature, such analysis is vital in the case of Thomas Wolfe’s short story ‘Only the Dead Know Brooklyn’. While the plot may be simple, even bemusing, it is in fact a delicately woven philosophical allegory. Wolfe is alluding to the theme of what it really means to live life to the fullest, can we merely wait for our ‘train t’ come’ or must we “thrust our feelers in distressful ooze” in order to truly appreciate the world around us, even if we end up ‘drownin’? The aim of this essay is to consider how Wolfe’s enigmatic story, expounded by metaphor, delivers an urgent defence of our threatened individuality, one which transcends the ordinary encounter at a Brooklyn subway station. The ideal platform for the metaphor in ‘Only the Dead Know Brooklyn’ is the utterly literal, pragmatic character of the narrator, providing a poignant juxtaposition throughout. The big guy asks figuratively “What becomes of people after dey have drowned out heah?”, b...

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