How does the author use metaphor in the novel, The Talisman?

The spectacles worn by Richard become important when in a symbolic act Richard throws them to the floor and crushes them rather than see the horrible and monstrous visions that follow in Jack Sawyers wake. This act on his behalf becomes at once a sign of how much Richard is willing to go through for his friend, but also how the character is willing to blind himself rather than really accept the truth. This can be read as a metaphor for Richards relationship and inability to accept the hurt that his own father is inflicting on the world.