A Dream, pg. 1
Murad “spent hours thinking about what he would do once he was on the other side.” He was imagining “the job, the car, the house.” Other days he could think only about “the coast guards, the ice-cold water, the money” he would have to borrow, and he wondered how “fourteen kilometers” could separate “not only two countries but two universes.” Tonight the sea appeared to be “calm,” but he knew better than to trust it. This imagery evokes a strange feeling of uneasiness and fascination for the unknown future and unclear prospects.
Terror, p. 35
Larbi remembered the day when he almost lost his dear daughter forever. She had disappeared so quickly that no one even noticed that she was gone. She had just “vanished.” They looked for her “for hours.” He remembered his face “burning,” his feet “swelling from walking on the sand,” the tears that “continued to stream down Salma’s face as they searched the beach.” Eventually a woman brought “the disoriented toddler” to the police station. She just went to collect seashells and that had resulted in the most terrifying experience her parents ever had. This imagery evokes a feeling of fear, of complete helplessness, and since Larbi compares it to what is happening to Noura now, also emphasizes just how dangerous he thinks Faten is.
Abuse, p. 62
Halima was well accustomed to Maati’s rage, and after Maati lost his job, their quarrel resulted in a severe beating. She felt when his hand “hit her face and knocked her to the side, the air suddenly out of her lungs.” She tries to jump away, but he “kicked her so hard that his shoe flew over her head.” Halima “landed on her knees, her chin hitting the floor, her teeth shaking in her mouth.” Finally, she ran out of his reach and locked “herself up in the tiny water closet, as she usually did when they fought.” She looked at herself in the mirror and here were “clear imprints on the side of her neck and jaw.” This imagery evokes a feeling of helplessness and despair. It emphasizes how brutal Maati is and how much Halima endures—and why she is so keen to get away.
Rahal, p. 103
Rahal is described as having a smile that "looked reptilian because of his large eyes, set too far apart, and his bald head." This is a simple description but conveys how untrustworthy Rahal is—something that manifests itself when the Zodiac does not actually bring its passengers to shore but instead has them swim to shore (and almost drown and/or get caught).
