Metaphors In The History Of Love

In the novel, History of Love, the metaphor of glass has been a recurring item that has exposed the reader’s vision to new perspectives surrounding the characters and the novel as a whole. Glass has given the reader a new lens to look through, which exposes new interpretations of a character’s emotion and imagination; utilizing metaphors such as: light bulbs and mirrors. Leo Gursky uses imagination to cope with the unattainable love he has for Alma. Towards the end of the novel, Leo’s vision had been clouded by imagination, creating an obsessive behavior toward the journey for Alma. “I asked a pear to become a pineapple, a pineapple to become a light bulb, a light bulb to become the moon, and the moon to become a coin I flipped for her love, both sides were heads” (230). His unconditional love for Alma has clouded his vision just like a light bulb’s obscurity, and his imagination is clearly altering his perspective to realize what is real or imaginary. A light bulb is typically replaceable and is also a very fragile object. “In those days would break a light bulb under his foot the chassan because no one could spare a …show more content…
“There were three mirrors. I was exposed to parts of myself I hadn’t seen in years” (81). The three mirrors resemble the three sections of his life: before the United States, after arriving in the United States, and after his son passed away. The most recent chapter of his life, after his son’s passing, has opened up who Leo is and what he entails. When you look into a mirror it reflects reality and facing reality is sometimes very puzzling to the viewer. “Then again, the oldest feeling in the world might simply have been confusion” (107). Leo’s confusion stems from not knowing the truth and filling in the blanks with imagination. This concept of glass and or a mirror has flipped Leo’s reality and he cannot realize between what is real or