The Pommeroys’ element (Metaphor)
The Pommeroys' love for the sea is immeasurable. Even though their father “drowned in a sailing accident” when they were “young,” their fondness and admiration for the sea was as strong as ever. The protagonist believes that “the sea salt” is in their “blood.” That is why they keep returning to their summer place, they can’t live without these vacations. The breezes help them to clear their minds of all the stress. No wonder that every interaction with Lawrence makes the Pommeroys go to the sea shore. Its deep water washes Lawrence’s gloominess off.
Trying hard (Metaphor)
Lawrence might be a black sheep, but it doesn’t mean that his mother and siblings don’t try to improve their relationships with him. They keep trying, give up, forget about the conflict, and then try again. The mother can’t put up with a thought that her own son despises her that much; she feels a strange need to reclaim him. This visit is not an exception. They are all “anxious” to “put” their “best foot forward.” The main problem is that Lawrence doesn’t want it. He comes to say goodbye.
Old rivalry (Metaphor)
The protagonist considers Chaddy not only his sibling, but also his good friend too. However, it doesn’t mean that their relationships are not rocky. They think they know each other’s “mettle intimately.” The protagonist thinks that Chaddy is “prudent” whilst Chaddy believes that the protagonist is “foolish.” Every time they play “tennis, backgammon, softball or bridge,” it seems that they play for “the possession of each other’s liberties.” There is always “bad blood” when they play.
A funny coincidence (Simile)
The Collards are having “a big party before the dance” and the Pommeroys, “excepting Lawrence and Ruth,” go to this. They drive over to the club, through the fog. The orchestra plays a waltz. When the protagonist checks his raincoat, someone hits him on the back. It is Chucky Ewing, and the funny thing is that Chucky has on a football uniform. The fact that they are wearing the same costumes seems as “comical as hell” to both of them.
