The Rabid Gaze (Simile)
"Angela and Bee comb Danny over with their almond-shaped eyes,
devour his out-of-place surfer style like a pack of rabid dogs." - This simile compares Angela and Bee's scrutiny of Danny's appearance to the behavior of a pack of rabid dogs. The phrase "devour his out-of-place surfer style" suggests that they are examining his clothing and hairstyle in great detail as if they are trying to consume or destroy it. The comparison to a pack of rabid dogs adds a sense of aggression and danger to the description, implying that their scrutiny is not just intense, but also potentially harmful or threatening. This simile creates a vivid and memorable image of how Danny is being examined and judged by his cousin's friends.
Danny's Struggle with Identity (Simile)
The sentence "His skin is dark like his grandma’s sweet coffee, but his insides are as pale as the cream she mixes in" is yet another example of a simile. In this case, the simile is comparing the character's skin to his grandmother's coffee and his insides to the cream she mixes in. Danny is a "white boy among Mexicans, and a Mexican among white boys". This describes the character's struggle with his identity as a mixed-race teenager. It suggests that the character feels like he doesn't fully belong to either group. He is Mexican, but he doesn't feel like he fits in with other Mexicans because he doesn't share the same experiences or cultural background. At the same time - his Mexican ancestry and darker skin tone, however, prevent him from being fully accepted by white people. It emphasizes the character's feeling of being caught between two worlds and not truly belonging to either one.
Danny's Discomfort due to Differences in Apearance (Simile)
Yet another example of a simile is when Danny is feeling uncomfortable because he is with his cousin's friends who are all dark-skinned and dressed in a certain style that is different from his: "He’s trying to suck back into his shell, like a poked and prodded snail." Danny is feeling uncomfortable because he perceives himself as different from his cousin's friends. The simile is comparing the way he is trying to withdraw from the situation to the way a snail withdraws into its shell when it is poked or prodded.
The Tennis Ball as a Distant Object (Metaphor)
"The ball explodes off Danny's bat. Everybody looks up as the tennis ball soars above their heads, a tiny dot in the bright blue sky. A distant commuter plane. A drifting bird." - This metaphor compares the trajectory of the ball to a distant plane or bird, to emphasize the height and distance it travels. By comparing the ball to a distant object, the metaphor also creates a sense of awe and wonder, as the characters are amazed by the power and skill of Danny's hit.
Uno's Mind as a Mixed Bag (Metaphor)
The metaphor describing Uno's mental state as a "mixed bag" when he thinks about his father's recent comment that he is a gift and should move to Oxnard (which is something his father has never said before): "Uno’s mind is a mixed bag as he veers right on Twenty-eighth St., heads toward Las Palmas Park.", emphasizes the variety of thoughts and emotions he is experiencing at that moment. This new information is causing Uno to question his own future and what it might hold. At the same time, he is also frustrated with his mother's behavior towards his father and the way she always starts yelling at him. This conflict between them is causing Uno to feel stuck in the middle, like a rope in a tug-of-war. All of these thoughts and emotions are jumbled together in his mind, creating a mixed bag of feelings.
