"She’s been there the whole time. Like a rat on a ship." (Act Two, Scene Three – Simile)
When Zhang Lin and Luili first met, she enters his apartment by hiding inside the refrigerator. Though Luili is the love of Zhang Lin's life, he compares her presence in the refrigerator to "a rat on a ship." Accidentally transporting rats, a highly damaging invasive species, on ships is generally believed to cause plagues, notably the Black Death. In this simile, Zhang Lin describes how Luili's unexpected presence in his life ultimately led to his demise, as he never emotionally recovered from her death.
"Everything in Britain’s been made in Taiwan since the sixties. Every child born since Thatcher has it stamped on its bottom." (Act Three, Scene One – Metaphor)
Tess uses this metaphor to explain the United Kingdom's economic dependence on China. Referencing the oft-cited "made in China" labels on imported products, Tess's metaphor suggests that Britain's culture and politics are shaped by trade with China. Figuratively speaking, all British children "since the sixties" are labeled as being "made in Taiwan," meaning their lives and childhoods are influenced by this geopolitical relationship.
"Atrocity’s just another pattern in the chintz." (Act Four, Scene Two – Metaphor)
Joe and Tess discuss how color photographs of violence were rare during the Vietnam War; thus, the war "wasn't lost on the battlefields of Vietnam, it was lost in the living rooms of America." By this, Joe means that the power of photographs to sway public opinion impacted the outcome of a massive geopolitical conflict. However, the medium has lost its impact in the digital age, because the world is saturated with photography. Expanding on the "living room" metaphor, Joe explains that people are so desensitized to violence that images of human suffering go just as unnoticed as the furniture pattern in their homes.
"The road to the Chinese market is already well-trodden...littered with the corpses of companies..." (Act Four, Scene Seven – Metaphor)
In her presentation, Tess argues that Western companies fail to expand into China because they mistakenly believe Chinese consumers want to mimic American culture. In this graphic metaphor, Tess compares the failed expansion attempts, often resulting in massive losses in capital, to dead bodies left on the road. Calling the negotiation and investment process a "road to the Chinese market," Tess's metaphor conjures images of the Silk Road. This famous historical trading route connected Europe and the Middle East with China. As this pathway is "littered" with "corpses," Tess suggests that companies ignore their peers' failure and persist despite the warning signs. This metaphor is also tasteless, as Tess later states that, during the Tiananmen Square protests, China "exchanged democracy for an economic miracle," killing an untold number of civilians in the process.
"You took to your bed, like a little boy. And I went to work, like a man." (Act Five, Scene Two – Simile)
In this simile, Zhang Wei judges Zhang Lin's response to the failed protests and Liuli's death. Zhang Wei explains that he gave up his political values to create a financially successful life by going "to work." Zhang Wei considers this choice to prioritize pragmatism over idealism to be more mature and calls himself "a man" to reflect this maturity. Zhang Wei believes Zhang Lin's insistence on calling out injustice is juvenile and compares him to "a little boy" going to bed. Because "bed" here represents dreams, safety, and rest, Zhang Wei criticizes Zhang Lin's unrealistic dreams for China and his reluctance to accept "real" responsibility.
