The first metaphor is “the angel in the house”。The angel refers to the model women in that time，or the Victorian women.They have to be tender,sympathetic flatter and deceive。However,for the women who want to have their own profession they have to say what they really think。 The angel in the house is different from women who say their real thought .So this is an obstacle for women to find jobs.If they have jobs they will have their own will,they will not obey men.Thus this kind of model is their obstacle。
The second metaphor is the “fisherman”。The fisherman at a deep lake refers to the situation the author is trying to describe。 Outwardly, the lake appears deadly calm， and the fisherman sunk in dreams。Under the surface of the water, there are big fish as well as hard stones, hidden in darkness。 The line may go deep into the water to catch the biggest fish or， to crash on a hard rock。 Inside the writer there are conflicting thoughts. That is the conflict between free thought and traditional belief.She has a lot of thoughts which are regarded as unacceptable by people of that time such passion and sex。So she was forced to keep them in heart。Put it generally it means many passions and new ideas of women were forced to be hold back because of traditional values and their gender.
The third metaphor is “room”。The room is compared to freedom the house means the whole society.Woolf means women have gained some freedom in this society but it is just a beginning they still have a long way to go。So they have to “decorate the room”it means they have to do more to get more freedom。
