Beka's thumping heart
Beka's thumping heart is compared to the sound of a pestle pounding plantains. The comparison enables a conceptualization of how fast and intense her beating heart was. The narrator notes: "…her heart thumped in her chest like a pestle pounding plantains."
The hard-boiled eggs
The writer enhances the conception of the behavior of the hard-boiled eggs in the pots of those who could afford it through a simile. The writer notes:"…a dozen hard-boiled eggs per pot bobbing up and down like dumplings." The simile thus enhances the hard-boiled eggs' imagery as they bob up and down in the thick soup.
Beka's family
The narrator brings out the supportive nature of Beka's family through the use of a simile. For most of her life, the narrator notes: "…the members of her family had surrounded her tightly, like sepals around a bud." The simile thus enhances imagery while also alluding to how supportive her family had been during that phase of her life. The protection that Beka received from being surrounded by her family is also implied via the comparison.
Aunt Tama's parlour
The high temperatures in Aunt Tama's tiny parlour are brought out via simile. The small room, having been packed to the brim with mourners, is compared to a baking pot. The writer notes: "Aunt Tama's tiny parlour felt like a baking pot." The simile thus enhances the perception of the packed nature of the room while at the same time alluding to high temperatures due to the large number of people.
Shaped like a cashew seed
The imagery of the woman's facial appearance is enhanced through the application of a simile. When the narrator compares the shape of her face, in particular, to the shape of a cashew seed, an image of the same is evoked in the reader's subconscious, making the comparison more appealing. The writer notes: "Beka looked up into the woman's face, shaped like a cashew seed…"
