"But his mind was eclipsed by the shadow of his father's presence."

— Edward St. Aubyn (b. 1960)


Work Title
Date
1992
Metaphor
"But his mind was eclipsed by the shadow of his father's presence."
Metaphor in Context
As Patrick slowly crossed the floor he tried to think of some way to placate his father. Maybe if he said something clever he'd be forgiven, but he felt extraordinarily stupid and could only think over and over: two times two equals four, two times two equals four. He tried to remember something he had noticed that morning, or anything, anything at all that might persuade his father that he had been 'observing everything'. But his mind was eclipsed by the shadow of his father's presence.
(pp. 66-7)
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Quotations drawn from Edward St. Aubyn, The Patrick Melrose Novels: Never Mind, Bad News, Some Hope, and Mother's Milk (New York: Picador, 2012).
Date of Entry
09/25/2015

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.