The simile of Penguins
Mr. Popper is reading an adventure book about different attractive places where people like going to explore new sites. He realizes that one of the places people want to visit is the Antarctic. He explains to his wife that the Antarctic is a beautiful place that is full of penguins. Penguins are different species of birds that do not fly but walk instead. Mr. Popper compares the penguins walking style to that of the little men when he says, "They do not fly like other birds. They walk erect like little men.”
The simile of the stout
Mr. Popper compares the stout little penguin to a gentleman. The penguin is as small in size as that of a child. Mr. Popper says, "It was a stout little fellow about two and a half feet high. Although it was the size of a small child, it looked much more like a gentleman, with its smooth waistcoat in front and its long blackhead."
The Simile of the Profound Avenue
The authors are comparing Mr. Popper's living room to the 432 Profound Avenue when saying, “The neat living room at 432 Profound Avenue was much like all the other living rooms in Stillwater, except that the walls were hung with pictures from the National Geographical Magazine.”
The penguins (Metaphor)
The penguins are given human ability in this book because they can analyze situations before taking any action. For instance, the authors indicate that before catching shrimps, penguins first assess the risk. The symbolic meaning of the penguins is that taking any action without risk analysis is catastrophic. Mr. Popper says, "Listen to this Mamma. It says here that when they want to catch some shrimps, they all crowd over to the edge of an ice bank. Only they do not just jump in because a seal leopard might be waiting to eat the penguins. So, they crowd and push until they manage to shove one penguin off, to see if it is safe.”
The simile of pretty heathen birds
Mrs. Popper loves listening to her husband's storytelling session. Mr. Popper talks with passion about how the penguins survive despite their inability to fly. The penguins currently live in the South Pole, but they would wish to move to the North despite their failure. Mrs. Popper listens attentively to the beauty of penguins, and she compares them to pretty heathen birds when she says, “They sound to me like pretty heathen birds.”
