Willa Cather's Use of Metaphors in Her Short Stories

“Metaphors and similes create tension and excitement by producing new connections, and in doing so reveal a truth about the world we had not previously recognized.” This quote, taken from Gabriele Rico, holds true for Willa Cather’s writing. Cather’s metaphors and similes, as well as the her symbolism, help readers make personal connections to the characters and settings in her short stories. Willa Cather, using detailed descriptions and figurative language, develops complex, thought …

…to the settings in her stories by giving very vivid descriptions of them. This added depth to Cather’s stories and made the reader really think about what he/she was reading. Cather used inanimate objects or characters in her stories to represent something else. Thus, symbolism also plays an important part in Cather’s short stories. The connections that Cather’s writing creates help readers to comprehend her writing and also challenge the mind.