Simile to show how Susanna took care of Alda
The narrator uses the simile, ‘For the compassionate Susanna hovered like a ministering angel around her sick couch with the tenderest offices of love and pity.’ The simile has described how Susanna looked after the sick Alda by comparing it to a hovering ministering angel. The simile builds the character of Susanna.
Alda’s mind
The narrator uses simile to describe the nature of Alda’s mind. The simile follows, ‘But her mind, like a rich neglected soil, though destined for the production of flowers, had been overrun with weeds for want of proper care and culture.’ Alda’s mind has therefore been compared to a rich neglected soil that should be bearing flowers but since it was neglected it has been overrun by weeds. This is because she was a slave who did not have the capacity to grow her mind in her current situation.
Simile to describe Alda’s Unbreakable Spirit
Alda’s unbreakable spirit was described by the narrator as, ‘...that spirit which no violence could ever have moved, like the single drop of water that continually fell on its way, through the resistless influence of persevering softness, into the very bosom of the obdurate marble block, which had resisted the force of iron and steel...’ Her spirit has been directly compared using simile to a drop of water that fell in its own way. This is because she never gave in into the will of her masters. She did not submit to them and was always causing trouble in the household of Marcus.
Metaphorical statement to describe Alda’s life
The narrator uses the statement, ‘...now the bitter cup had been turned to her own lips...’. The statement is metaphorical because the bitter cup is slavery in which Alda as her capacity as princess in Britain before she had been captured, she was mean to her servants. Now that bitter cup had been turned to her own lip for she was no enslaved in Rome.
Metaphor to describe Christianity by the priest who baptized Alda
The priest said these words, ‘For thou art like the wise merchantman in the parable, who when he heard of the pearl of great price, sold all that he had and purchased it.’ The priest therefore used the metaphor, ‘pearl of great price’ to signify Christianity. The priest and other Christians saw the religion as expensive and unique.
