Tortoise sizes
As Alfie is replaced by tortoise after tortoise, their specific weights are always noted. The book also includes a series of photos to highlight this progression. The repetition of the description of tortoise sizes, as well as Tortoise Number 8's inability to fit in the door of the tortoise house, emphasizes the imagery of the "growing" tortoise.
The metal claw
When describing the metal claw he makes, Mr. Hoppy refers to them as "fingers", evoking a strong, almost creepy, image. He describes in-depth how he made them out of a "long metal tube", wires, and a handle. This imagery comes up again every time he uses the "tortoise catcher" to switch Mrs. Silver's tortoises.
Mr. Hoppy's apartment
Mr. Hoppy's living room was described as only containing a table and two chairs. The relevant imagery highlights Mr. Hoppy's loneliness. The description of Mr. Hoppy completely remodeling his apartment to store the turtles creates an image of a desperate and dedicated man. This imagery is revisited when, after he proposes, Mr. Hoppy returns his living room to its original state.
The balconies
Throughout the story, both Mr. Hoppy and Mrs. Silver's balconies are described several times. The image of Mr. Hoppy's plants as his first love shows his loneliness in the beginning of the story. Mrs. Silver is always seen on her balcony, whispering to and stroking her tortoise, in contrast to the imagery of Mr. Hoppy alone on his balcony. Imagery is also used to describe the distance between the two balconies, to highlight how far away from his love Mr. Hoppy feels.
