Lloyd Jones exploits the use of metaphorical language in ‘Mister Pip’ to not only create vivid descriptions of places and events, but also to convey layered concepts constituting the dire and difficult circumstances Bougainville was forced to endure. These language devices cause the reader to reflect on personal experiences, allowing us to gain a further apprehension into the world of the novel Jones implements figurative language in the description of Bougainville, the redskin patrols, and the nature of the redskin soldiers, which serves to create an understanding of the injustices faced by Bougainville and the society situated there, desiring sympathy from the reader.
The white colonisers who inhabited Bougainville disregarded the native…show more content… 21). Jones uses this simile to reveal important information on past events, describing the state of Bougainville before we, as readers, are introduced into the story. Through this sentence, our minds are called to the imagery of this figurative situation, with indistinguishable ants crawling over something such as a deceased rodent, furrowing their way through the abundant goods that it offers. The rodent is unable to resist or oppose the onslaught of ants, which presumably lack sympathy and respect for the helpless carcass of the animal, as it lies there being utilised. For the ants, the only priority is that they feed themselves, incapable to understand their uncaring actions and completely oblivious to what they are doing. Matilda’s comparison between this idea and the state of the island reveals a very layered piece of information. The white colonisers who occupied Bougainville situated themselves there for the mining resources, as they made use of the island without any possible way of stopping them from doing so. This creates an…show more content… Throughout the novel, we are exposed to the harsh realities of conflict and the savagery of the redskins, particularly their dominance over the villagers. The first encounter in which we experience the nature of the soldiers occurs when the redskins, led by their commanding officer, uncover the village. The officer is persistent with his question to the collection of villagers as he demands a response, despite knowing the answer himself. Matilda, understanding what is happening, states, ‘We were being pecked at – the way a seabird will turn over a morsel of crab with its beak. He had all the information at his fingertips. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted more’ (pg. 83). This metaphorical language helps to establish the hierarchy of power, comparing the position of the villagers to that of the redskins. The redskins evidently exploit their power from the fear that they instil, toying with the villagers as they take advantage of this elevated position – they see the villagers as inferior, particularly lesser than themselves. This is therefore not dissimilar to a seabird, which will torment and peck at its helpless prey as the dominant figure out of the pair - the villagers are the prey in the face of the predatory redskins. This language device causes a sympathetic response from the reader, further building upon the list of other injustices faced by the native Bougainvilleans; the villagers’ lives have been completely disrupted, having to shape the way
