Metaphor

Metaphor is a figure of speech in which one subject is described in terms of a dissimilar subject, in order to suggest an analogy. McCorkle uses metaphor directly at the beginning of the story when the narrator describes her father's “metaphor for life”: “You WERE TERRIFIED of the water, but you loved to step into it, chest deep, pool edge within reach.” The narrator's father was a courageous man, who coped with his fears by assuring his safety. She recalls his coming in the water to cheer for her when she dove and swam around him.

The toadfish the narrator catches suggests her father's ability to continue on despite problems. The hook is lodged too deeply in the fish for her father to remove it, so he cuts the line and lets the “poor old guy” swim away. The fish had a narrow escape and will live despite...