When Simile is Literal Truth
The purpose of the simile is to make a comparison of two unalike things to each other in order to illuminate a greater truth. Of course, some truths are more literal than others. Such as this example:
“Politicians, dictators, kings, phony-baloney preachers—most of ’em are men, and most of ’em lie like rugs.”
Why Would Anyone Do Such a Thing?
In other instances, of course, the literal quality of the truth illuminated by a simile is not quite so concrete. And, occasionally, that truth raises profound questions about the nature of perception and reality. In this case, the question raised is who in their right mind would do such a thing?
“The guy acting like he was Donald Trump.”
Another Word: Breakdown
If you watch older movies and TV shows, you will routinely hear characters described as having undergone a nervous breakdown. Sometime during the 1980s or so, that phrase just seemed to vanish from the American lexicon and was replaced by even less insightful synonyms:
“One day he just `snapped.’ That’s Mom’s word for what happened.”
Physical Description
Much of the figurative language in the story is directed toward characterization. However, not all of it goes toward delineating the mental state of characters. A robust amount facilitates the visual imagery:
“Shelly’s eyes got as wide as saucers when I flew past the bar.”
The Plot
An element of the mechanics of plot involves flushing food coloring down certain toilets. It’s a much bigger job than turning white frosting red and so intrudes into the shallower waters of the unknown. But practice makes perfect:
“Well, it doesn’t pour out like water. It’s more gooey, like sunblock, so you’ve really gotta squeeze.”
