Metaphor

A metaphor is a comparison between dissimilar things that invites readers to see the subject in a new way. In this story, digging is the literal activity of creating a hole by removing dirt. It is also a way of characterizing Baldasare and of revealing his belief system. Ultimately digging is a metaphor for Baldasare's success. "He dug because the earth was there beneath his feet, and men paid him to move it. He dug because it was a sacrament, because it was honorable and holy." Digging is not only his means of making money, it is also the only religion he knows. It is what gives him faith and is the means by which he plans to achieve each of his dreams—the vineyard, impressing Ariadne so that she will marry him, and his underground gardens.

A metaphor becomes more powerful when the metaphorical meaning is the...