Our Minds Aren’t Crowns; They’re Clocks (metaphor)
This metaphor provides a profound commentary on the way humans relate to time and their thoughts: "We treat our minds like crowns, these magnificent crowns on our magnificent autonomies. But our minds aren’t crowns. They’re clocks. It’s why we invest everything in our stories. Stories are the excrement of time." Akbar shifts the perception of human autonomy and grandeur to one of mechanistic inevitability. A crown symbolizes royalty and individual supremacy suggesting that we view our minds as sovereign entities. However, the clock metaphor disrupts this by revealing that our minds are instruments of time. They are mechanical and driven by rhythms beyond our control. The extension into stories being "the excrement of time" is even more poignant. Akbar implies that our narratives, our personal histories, are by-products of time passing.
Language as Junk DNA (metaphor)
The narrator states, "If so much of my language is junk, both the language of my speech and the language of my body, it seems like a not insignificant portion of my living must be doomed to junk. There’s nothing in my life that isn’t bound to my language, or my DNA." In this metaphor, Akbar compares language to junk DNA, which in genetics refers to large portions of an organism’s DNA that do not encode anything functional. Language is likened to an inefficient system bloated with unnecessary and non-functional elements. This metaphor explores the futility and chaos embedded in human communication. In that, what we say or express does not meaningfully contribute to understanding or progress. This metaphor is a somber reflection on the randomness of both evolution and communication.
A Pinwheel of Stars, Lightning under a Fingernail (metaphor)
In the following metaphor, Akbar evokes two vivid and energetic images to describe a person's essence: "This is what she was like: a pinwheel of stars. Lightning under a fingernail." It indicates that the subject radiates beauty, light, and a sense of cosmic energy that spirals out in all directions. This phrase suggests someone dynamic and overwhelming in her allure. The second part sharpens the imagery into something more intimate and electric. Essentially, the suggestion of lightning in such a confined space evokes both power and pain. Together, these images portray her as a dazzling and dangerous person who is brimming with energy that cannot be fully contained.
Shame like a Monogram (simile)
This simile portrays how shame becomes a part of one's identity: "When you are ten, shame stitches itself into you like a monogram, broadcasting to the world what holds you, what rules your soul." Akbar highlights how personal and visible this emotion feels, especially in childhood. Shame is an internal experience yet something that seems indelibly marked upon the individual. The idea of "broadcasting" indicates the constant fear of judgment. It makes the child feel as though everyone around them is aware of their inner turmoil.
Her Embarrassment like a Stone (simile)
The narrator says, "Roya slid down into her chair, her embarrassment like a stone on her chest, sinking her into the earth." In this simile, embarrassment is likened to a heavy stone pressing down on Roya, which emphasizes its overwhelming and suffocating nature. The stone is metaphorically grounding since it pulls her down as if her sense of humiliation is inescapable. The weight of this emotion is so substantial that it "sinks her into the earth." It suggests that it isolates her from those around her and traps her within herself. The imagery reinforces how embarrassment can feel oppressive, as though it forces one to withdraw and hide.
