Metaphor

Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase which uses a kind of object or idea to suggest a likeness between the an idea or a thing. Eg "The thief was a shadow in the night". The thief is the "thing" while he is being connected to a "shadow in the night" when he is not literally a shadow. The effect of a metaphor emphasizes just how alike the two things being connected really are.

An example of a metaphor in Heat and Dust is: " she has tied her hair in a drooping plait. She is paper-white, vaporous - yes, a ghost" When the narrator is connecting the missionary to a ghost figure, while the missionary is not actually a ghost.

Another simple example of a metaphor in Heat and dust is when Harry says " Olivias' home is an oasis". Her house is not literally a tropical spot in the middle of a desert but Harry says this because it shows how strong he feels about Olivias' atmosphere at her house.