The Library
Bud revels in the smell and sensations of the library and takes pains to describe it to his readers. He mentions its cool air and its distinctive smells, it stacks of books and friendly librarians, the ability to get lost in there for hours. The imagery surrounding the library marks it as a place of import for a young, poor boy like Bud who wants to learn and find out information that is otherwise not accessible to him. It is a place of sanctuary as well.
The locomotive
Bud describes the train about to depart the Hooverville: "The locomotive was hissing and pitting coal-black smoke into the sky, every once in a while a big shower of sparks would glow up from inside the dark cloud, making it look as if a gigantic black genie was trying to raise up out of the smokestack" (82). Through this image we can see the power and potential of the train—a veritable genie about to putatively grant the men their wish of getting out of this forsaken place and finding hope elsewhere.
Miss Thomas's rings
Bud cannot help but be entranced by Miss Thomas's numerous rings. He paints a vivid picture of them: "When she talked she moved her hands and fingers around and the lights from the ceiling and from the little candle on the table would bounce off all of them diamonds and spark up in your eye and make you feel like you'd been hit with some kind of magic fairy dust" (170). Creating an image like this suggests how lively, warm, and sparkly Miss Thomas herself is.
The Band
Curtis is very descriptive with what Bud sees when he is watching the band. He goes through all the instruments and what the players look like and what their sound is, then brings in Miss Thomas and her evocative singing. The picture is one of life and creativity and inclusion and joy; music and community are inextricably linked and the image is powerful to Bud and the readers.
