the metal bars of the cage

[alpacinou]

Hello.

Is there a specific name for the metal bars of a cage or are they just called bars?

Is this sentence correct and natural?

The poor monkey started to bang against the metal bars of the claustrophobic cage, screaming and crying.

Also, what other verb can I use instead of bang?

 

[tedmc]

Metal bars as in a cage are called grilles.

Try hit/knock against for bang.

 

[Tarheel]

The cage itself can't be claustrophobic. Perhaps:

The monkey rattled the bars of the cage. It jumped up and down, hooting and hollering.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

The cage itself can't be claustrophobic. . . .

Right. The monkey is the claustrophobe, not the cage.

- bang
- pound
- beat
- pummel

 

[alpacinou]

Is it possible that it's a British American thing?

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/claustrophobic

Example from Cambridge dictionary:
My room's a bit claustrophobic.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Is it possible that it's a British American thing?

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/claustrophobic

Example from Cambridge dictionary:
My room's a bit claustrophobic.

Excellent point! If it's good enough for Cambridge, it's good enough for me.

 

[alpacinou]

Excellent point! If it's good enough for Cambridge, it's good enough for me.

So, is this correct?

The poor monkey started to bang against the metal bars of the claustrophobic cage, screaming and crying.

 

[Tarheel]

I guess it's okay, but I like mine much better.
;-)

 

[Tdol]

Is it possible that it's a British American thing?[/I]

It could be- I saw no problem with saying that the cage is claustrophobic.

 

[Tarheel]

I think claustrophobic there is used in the sense of inducing claustrophobia. (In my experience, being in a closed-in space did not make me feel claustrophobic any more than before.)