The Shell Collector

Figurative language uses figures of speech such as metaphors and similes to go beyond the literal meanings of words to give readers new insights. Figurative language is employed frequently in “The Shell Collector,” particularly in moments of heightened emotion or marked change. When the shell collector sees the sea for the first time, in the process of going blind, the sun is described as a “smudged yolk” (12). This metaphor contributes to the scene’s visual imagery, allowing the reader to see through the protagonist’s eyes while he can still see. By establishing his connection to nature in this moment through imagery, the author emphasizes the impact of his later blindness. This unexpected change to the way he’s able to connect to the world around him is described as “this twist in his life, this spiral that was at once inevitable and unpredictable, like the aperture in a horn shell” (14). These comparisons do more than describe the event or image; they imbue the moment in the story with a deeper emotional resonance.