Her Godly Imagination (metaphor)
The narrator says "The heat of your back drew it up to you. Lying under the tree, you watched through fall-stripped branches the clouds make the shape of her wounds—on her feet, her hands, her wrists. The most recent one on her shoulder signified Jesus’ burden as He carried the cross to Mount Golgotha." In this metaphor, the narrator is comparing the clouds that form in the sky to the wounds of the woman they are visiting. It is used to illustrate the narrator's admiration for the woman's faith and her strength in the face of suffering. The narrator is signifying that the woman's suffering is similar to Jesus' suffering on the cross and that her faith is a sign of her resilience. The metaphor is further underlined by the heat of the woman's back that is being drawn up to her, indicating an almost spiritual connection between the two.
Dancer (metaphor)
Another metaphor in the narration is "lightning-struck dancer." This metaphor is used to describe the narrator's experience of living with a chronic illness. The image of a dancer being struck by lightning illustrates the suddenness and shock that comes with being diagnosed with an incurable condition. It denotes the frailty the narrator feels in the face of their illness as it is outside their control. The metaphor highlights the contrast between the narrator's dream of becoming a dancer and the reality of living with a chronic illness, which restricts their physical and emotional freedom. It also accentuates the resilience of the narrator, as she continues to strive for independence and self-expression.
On Fire (metaphor)
The metaphor of being "on fire" is used to describe Mother Joan of the Angels' experience with demonic possession. It underscores the intensity of Joan's experience of being overwhelmed by something beyond her control. Thus, it suggests that her possession was a consuming force that could not be contained by the physical restraints put on her by the priests. The metaphor implies that the experience was a kind of spiritual awakening, as she was able to transcend the restraints placed on her and find strength in the face of adversity. Therefore, it demonstrates that even in the darkest of circumstances, there is still the potential for strength, hope, and transformation.
Stage Set (simile)
The narrator asserts that "our bodies on a platform like a stage set in rooms who knows where or which." This simile is comparing the bodies of the patients in the hospital to a stage set, implying that they are on display and are being viewed by others. This comparison highlights the feeling of being exposed and vulnerable that the patients must have felt while in the hospital, as their bodies were constantly being scrutinized and analyzed by their doctors. It also highlights the uncertainty and disorientation that the patients must have experienced as they were moved from room to room and were not sure where they were going or what was going to happen to them.
Spectacle (simile)
The narrative uses a simile to compare the way that people observe something that appears to be wrong with the narrator to "standing in an enormous hollow elephant inside a secret garden while next door cancan girls take the hats off men’s heads with only their feet." This simile suggests that, just like people are drawn to the spectacle of cancan girls, people are drawn to the spectacle of the narrator's distress. The comparison implies that people enjoy watching the narrator's suffering in the same way that they would enjoy watching a show, but without actually doing anything to help. It evokes the idea that people are more interested in observing something than they are in helping it.
