An analysis of metaphor can offer us insight into the deeper meaning of literature. Since almost nothing is revealed directly about its nature, such analysis is vital in the case of Thomas Wolfe's short story "Only the Dead Know Brooklyn." While the plot may be simple, even baffling, it is actually a delicately woven philosophical allegory. Wolfe alludes to the theme of what it truly means to live life to the fullest, can we simply wait for our "train to come" or must we "sink our antennae in distressing mud" to truly appreciate the world around us, even if we end up ' drown'? The purpose of this essay is to consider how Wolfe's enigmatic story, expounded through metaphor, offers an urgent defense of our threatened selfhood, a defense that transcends the ordinary encounter in a Brooklyn subway station. The ideal platform for metaphor in "Only the Dead Know" Brooklyn' is the absolutely literal and pragmatic character of the narrator, providing a touching juxtaposition throughout the film. The big boy asks figuratively "What happens to people after they drown, huh?", b...