Metaphor: Wrestling with the stove
As Mrs. Hale notes, a bad stove can easily cause a lot of distress, especially if one has to cook on it daily. Minnie’s stove was in a horrible state; it needed repairing or even replacement. Martha couldn’t even imagine how it would be “to have that stove to wrestle with” on a daily basis. This metaphor of wrestling with something indicates that Minnie's life is filled with constant struggle, that she has to fight to carry out the simplest tasks, and that John denies her basic necessities.
Simile: Mind Tripping
Martha looks around Minnie's kitchen and after Mrs. Peters makes the comment that Henderson wants to find a motive for Minnie killing John. Glaspell writes that "It was as if her mind tripped on something," a simile that helps the reader understand Mrs. Hale's somewhat unsure mental state as she looks around the familiar yet unfamiliar kitchen. This "tripping," which is an accident, is what leads Mrs. Hale to notice the dirty dishcloth, which helps her notice the other shabby or half-completed things.
Simile: Minnie like a bird
Minnie Frost used to be a vivacious young woman, and "kind of like a bird herself." Minnie wore bright and stylish dresses, the ribbons in her hair were always colorful, and her voice stood out in the chorus of other beautiful voices. She was like a canary, bright and cheerful, which is what makes her bleak and isolated life with John all the more depressing.
Simile: Child Performing
When Mrs. Hale watches her husband prepare to speak about what he saw, she "had that sinking feeling of the mother whose child is about to speak a piece." This is an effective simile because it connotes that Mr. Hale is childish and prone to wandering and tangents when speaking; that Mrs. Hale is an intuitive person and thinks of her husband in a somewhat maternal way; and that, like a child, Mr. Hale may accidentally say something untrue or misleading.
Simile: John as raw wind
Mrs. Hale describes John Wright thusly: "Like a raw wind that gets to the bone." This simile helps the reader understand that John is cold, sharp, severe, and unpleasant. It is even more meaningful when compared to the simile Minnie gets, which is that she was like a fluttery little bird (at least before she married John). Clearly, life with John would be difficult, which helps the reader understand and empathize with Minnie.
