“Lock him into position like a rugby player.”
Vivian expresses her desire to lock the ‘bastard’ into position through the use of a simile. Comparing the act of locking this ‘bastard’ into place as in rugby enhances imagery. The narrator notes: “With an invisible hand, I want to hold back the little bastard, lock him into position like a rugby player while shouting to her to keep on going…”
Mam’s emptiness
The narrator compares Mam’s emptiness to an airless balloon, a situation that enhances imagery. The narrator states, “Mam seems flat and empty, like a balloon when you let the air out.”
The taste of foam from the Carlsberg can
The bad taste of the foam from the Carlsberg is made explicit through the use of a simile. The narrator notes: “He raises the can of Carlsberg, holds it to his lips, but it’s empty. Foam slides slowly into his mouth, tasting like metal.” Comparing the foam’s taste to the taste of metal enhances the reader’s perception of its bluntness.
The growing fury
The narrator compares the fury developing within her and how it expands to an unspoken tumor. The silent development of this fury is thus emphasized. The narrator notes: “The quietly growing fury, expanding like an unspoken tumor, impossible to remove.”
“…winds her right arm back like a baseball outfielder…”
The imagery of Vivian’s right arm is enhanced through its comparison to that of a baseball player. The narrator notes: “She takes a step back, winds her right arm back like a baseball outfielder, and throws the apple core as hard as she can, over the edge, down the slope, into the ravine.”
