Question

treachery is always a hairy caterpillar bred of a small butterflycalled envy. what does iskander mean by this metaphor?

Answer 1

The most obvious way to explain this metaphor is to say that envy breeds treachery and butterflies breed caterpillars. When one is envious of something, one sees the beauty in it, just as one sees a butterfly and remarks at its beauty. But when one acts on that envy and attempts to take whatever they are envious of or do something about it, they get a hairy caterpillar: treachery. The main character in this story threatens to tell his parents of his sister eating pork. He doesn't actually do it until his father gives the three children notebooks. Then the main character sees his sister with two blotters and gets jealous. He envies her and those two blotters. So then, he tells his parents, an act of treachery, thinking that he will continue to see the beautiful butterfly envy has shown him. Instead, his envy breeds treachery. He is shown a hairy caterpillar, bred of the beautiful butterfly of envy.