How does the author use metaphor in the novel, This Tender Land?

Whenever Odie has misbehaved, he is sent to the quiet room, often by himself. While the quiet room allows Odie's narrative the room for reflection on and explanation of Odie's life and circumstances, the space literally and metaphorically bars Odie from his friends and family. The quiet room represents all of the loss and resulting entrapment Odie feels since his parents died.