Object
Metaphorical Sword of Tempering
An invoked, non‑material image of a sword used as a rhetorical tool: sharp-edged language that imagines steel tempered in fire. The image carries bite without a handle — characters parry and press with words rather than metal, the metaphor tightening the room’s debate over how to shape Wesley. It registers as an emotional instrument rather than a tactile object, summoned by a speaker to demand hardening through trial.
2 appearances
Purpose
To function as a rhetorical device in argument: to represent the idea of forging, testing, and hardening an officer through difficult trials and responsibilities.
Significance
Serves as the debate’s pivot, crystallizing the split between protection and provocation in mentorship. The sword-image precipitates the tacit compromise that sets Wesley’s crucible in motion and thematically foreshadows forthcoming moral tests.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used