"Rusted and bacteria ridden, I'm the blade that nicks at the perfectly hemmed seams of Luke's life " (Page 8).
Ani uses this metaphor early in the novel to describe the dangerously titillating persona she uses to maintain a hold over Luke. Ani cannot actually be the upper-class, wealthy woman that Luke would be more likely to partner with, so she plays up an alluring, "girl from the wrong side of the tracks" identity. Luke is attracted to Ani, and enjoys being in a relationship with her because she makes him feel that he is taking a risk. By comparing herself to a knife, Ani alludes to the history of violence in her past, and the mention of a knife specifically foreshadows the reveal that she killed Arthur with a knife. Since someone wielding a knife can control how much pressure they exert, and how deep they cut, the metaphor also reinforces the delicate dance of control that Ani is perpetually performing in her relationship. She needs to keep Luke interested, but she also needs to never threaten or undermine him, and persuade him that she can fit into his world, even if it is not where she naturally belongs.
"TifAni FaNelli stood out like the hillbilly relative who shows up at Thanksgiving and drinks all the expensive whiskey" (Page 16).
Ani consistently dislikes her name; she both disguises her first name by using a shortened version that she perceives as more sophisticated, and eagerly looks forward to taking Luke's name after they are married. Ani dislikes her birth name because it reveals her class and social status, which she is always trying to hide and obscure. In this simile, Ani compares her birth name to a hillbilly relative, making it clear that she sharply feels the connection between her name and its role as a social signifier. The simile also reinforces how Ani remains haunted by her past, even though she tries to conceal it. In the simile, the relative turns up periodically and causes an unpleasant scene when they do so. Likewise, as much as Ani tries to suppress her past, it keeps surfacing and wreaking havoc on her carefully laid plans when it does so.
"I followed the sound of my new nickname like the nascent little lemming that I'd become" (Page 61).
Ani uses this simile to describe the behavior she displayed when she first began attending the Bradley School. Ani compares herself to a lemming, a small animal that famously will become so trapped in a frenzied herd mentality that groups of them will run off of cliffs and plunge to their death. Using this simile foreshadows the violent and deadly events that lie ahead for Ani and the other students at the Bradley school. The simile also explains why Ani engages in the behavior that she does: she is not stupid, or incapable of thinking critically, but she gets swept up in the herd mentality and the desire to belong.
"I began to spoil like a forgotten carton of milk in the back of the refrigerator" (Page 156).
Ani uses this simile to describe her fear and distaste about her advancing age. Ani is obsessed with her appearance, and the idea of being young, slender, and desirable. While Ani is only in her late 20s, she is terrified of getting older, and convinced that she is quickly reaching an advanced age. In the simile, Ani compares her aging self to a carton of milk beginning to spoil; since milk has a short shelf life, the simile reveals that Ani sees herself as having a very limited window of being alluring (this explains why she is so anxious to marry Luke, lest he begin to find her less attractive as she ages). Since spoiled milk is revolting and can make people physically sick, the simile shows how revolted Ani is by the prospect of aging. Finally, by comparing herself to something that is consumed by other people, Ani shows how she has internalized an objectified version of herself: she believes that her value rests on people (especially men) wanting her, and that she will have no value if she stops being sexually appealing.
"The clapboard came down like a guillotine" (Page 199).
Ani uses this simile to describe the beginning of the filming of the documentary. She compares the clapboard (used to signal the start of filming a scene) to a guillotine, a device used for executions by dropping a blade and severing a head. The simile reveals the sense of unease and discomfort that Ani feels about filming: she feels pressured to participate but also fears that the documentary will represent the ending (or death) of the carefully constructed life and persona she has been maintaining. Ani's simile also hints that she may know what lies ahead: the filming is going to mark the end of her willingness to lie abut who she is, and will ultimately lead to her being much more honest. The simile also alludes to how Ani will eventually use the documentary to achieve justice against a criminal (by secretly recording Dean's confession), since the guillotine was used to execute individuals who had been found guilty of a crime.
