The simile of storybook princess
Virginia is seven, a young girl full of life and expectations. Currently, she is living with her parents in Japan and does not know that she will become Fielding and Peyton's mother in the coming years. The author compares Virginia's innocence to a storybook princess. The author writes, "It is 1949. She is in Japan with her parents and living like a storybook princess." The simile shows that her parents love and adore Virginia, especially her father, Lieutenant Colonel William Henry Corbett.
The simile of royalty
The significance of Corbett in his position in the army is demonstrated using a simile. When he gets into any hotel, he is received like a king. The author writes, “The Corbett family then proceeded down that line like a royalty-greeting each member of staff, receiving formal bow after formal bow." Corbett is a senior army official in the USA's Special Service Unit. When not on official duty, Corbett moves around with a limousine.
The simile of Oji
The author compares Oji's tail to a question mark. The author writes, "Oji had grown into a beautiful dog. Stout-backed, brown and white-with big paws and a tail that curled like a question mark." Virginia is still a young girl, and she thinks that her only protector in the event of an attack is her dog, Oji. One of the outstanding features of Oji is his curled tail. Consequently, the simile does not only show Oji's beauty, but it also depicts sight imagery to paint a vivid picture in the writers' minds.
