"One evening, just at sunset, he pointed up at an owl circling over the violet-lighted forest to the west. "Hey, O'Brien," he said. "There's Jesus." The man was sharp - he didn't miss much. Those razor eyes. Now and then he's catch me staring out at the river, at the far shore, and I could almost hear the tumblers clicking in his head. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it." (p. 47)
Vale (and I would like the make it a point now to clarify that I may use this word, "vale", which in Spanish is "okay", frequently without noticing it. This is just a forewarning.) I really liked this quote, not because there is an owl (although this is an added bonus), but because of the metaphor within it. I enjoy using metaphors in my writing, especially when dealing with something from nature. In this passage, as O'Brien is thinking about escape, I believe the owl is a symbol of freedom. As Jesus gave freedom to all sinners in His death, this connects to the freedom with which the owl has to fly where it would like. I believe since it is stated that the owl is Jesus, I believe the owl also symbolizes the freedom that is nature. Thus, Jesus is nature and in nature, O'Brien might find freedom. By crossing the river he can come into a new land, like Heaven, and be free, though he will have to travel through nature to get there. It is a bit difficult to explain my thought process with this metaphor, and only the author could say whether or not it is true. I wonder if there are not other interpretations of the quote, but this is just how I see it.
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