Louise’s heart squeezing tight
The metaphor of "Louise's heart squeezing tight" is used to describe the intense emotion that Louise feels when she sees her daughter in distress. This metaphor implies that Louise's heart is literally squeezing, as if it is being physically compressed, emphasizing the intensity of her emotions.
The words felt like rocks in her mouth
The author uses the simile "words felt like rocks in her mouth" to illustrate the difficulty Louise has in saying the words that her parents had died. It suggests that the words were heavy and painful to express, and that they weighed her down like rocks in her mouth. The simile also implies a sense of heaviness and immobility, as if the words were too heavy for her to say. It gives the reader a sense of the emotional weight of the moment and how hard it was for Louise to express her grief.
Hands like bundles of sticks tied together with blue veins
To emphasize the fragility and age of Aunt Gail's hands, the author compares them to bundles of sticks tied together with blue veins. The blue veins represent the aging process, indicating that her veins are more prominent and visible as she ages. The bundle of sticks represents her thin bones and fragile hands, further emphasizing the aging process. The comparison is intended to emphasize her age and the passage of time since the narrator last saw her. It implies that Aunt Gail has aged since their last visit and that the family has aged since their last reunion.
The cold putting ice in her blood
The metaphor "the cold putting ice in her blood" is used to describe the intense chill that Louise felt as she walked through the house. It is a way of expressing her fear and anxiety viscerally as if the cold air had a physical effect on her body. The metaphor implies that the coldness of the house had a numbing effect on her, making her feel detached and emotionless, almost like she was a puppet being moved by an unseen force.
Slick fingers like a bar of soap
This simile is used to describe the way Louise is feeling at the moment - overwhelmed and frustrated for being away from her daughter. The slippery sensation of her fingers reflects her emotions as if she is slipping away from the situation and can't get a grip on reality. The simile also suggests that Louise is trying to keep her composure, but her emotions are overwhelming her as if her feelings are like a bar of soap that slips away when she tries to hold onto it.
Like her rib cage was being split open with an axe
This simile is used to convey the intense emotional pain that Louise experiences when she remembers that her parents are dead. The image of an axe splitting open her rib cage is a powerful and visceral image that conveys the sudden, sharp pain that Louise feels in her chest. It speaks to the intensity and sharpness of the emotional pain she feels as if her body is physically being torn apart.
