The resemblance to Parents (Simile)
The author has used a simile to compare Hoonie with his parents in all aspects. When he closes his mouth to hide his cleft palate, he resembles his father. For instance, one can confuse him with his dad when he smiles. His father is a nice looking and handsome man who has well-built shoulders just like Hoonie. They have the same large smiling eyes. Other similar physical features between Hoonie and his father include eyebrows and the front forehead. The author uses a simile when he writes:
“When Hoonie covered his misshapen mouth with his hands, something he did out of habit meeting strangers, he resembled his nice-looking father, both having the same large, smiling eyes. Inky eyebrows graced his broad forehead, perpetually tanned from outdoor work. Like his parents, Hoonie was not a nimble talker, and some made the mistake of thinking that because he could not speak quickly there was something wrong with his mind, but that was not true.”
The Metaphor of the Beating Organ
The author says that the fisherman and his wife do their best to raise their only surviving son to be intelligent and self-reliant. They believe that in case they die earlier, with intelligence and self-reliance, their son can be able to survive on his own because no one is ready to care for him. Their love for their son is bigger than life and if there is a way the fisherman and his wife could share a heart for the sake of the son, they could have done so. Therefore, the beating organ is metaphorically used by the author to illustrate the love the fisherman and his wife have towards their son. He writes:
“The fisherman and his wife raised their surviving son, the neighborhood cripple, to be clever and diligent because they did not know who would care for him after they died. If it were possible for a man and his wife to share one heart, Hoonie was this steady, beating organ."
The Simile of Families
The author notes that Hoonie is so lucky to have such caring parents. Other children grow under carefree parents who do not mind of neglecting responsibility. He compares such families to the colonized peninsula. A colonized peninsula is the epitome of desperateness. He writes:
“Other families in the land were not so fortunate as to have two such sensible parents, and as happens in countries being pillaged by rivals or nature, the weak- the elderly, widows and orphans - were as desperate as ever on the colonized peninsula.”
The simile of Licking Lips
When the Matchmaker seeking Hoonie's hand in a marriage to Yangjin arrives at his mother's place, the mother silently welcomes her. She takes the Matchmaker silently to the Kitchen where she serves her a cup of tea. Hoonie is not aware of the meeting. The Matchmaker is cautious with her words whole talking to ensure that she only speaks nice things. Hoonie's mother listens attentive and licks her lips like someone thirsty. The author says:
“The woman licked her lips as if she was thirsty; Hoonie's mother felt the woman observing her and every detail of the house, measuring the size of the kitchen with her exacting eyes.”
The simile of the Pine table
The matchmaker is busy speaking to Hoonie’s mother and trying to make sure that she wins her heart. However, it is hard to understand her since she rarely gets out of her house. When she needs something from the market, she sends Hoonie. She is usually busy with her household chaos for the entire day. All this time, she is quite and does not move her mouth. The writer says:
“While the matchmaker talked, Hoonie 's mother's mouth remained unmoving and steady, much like the heavy pine table she was cutting her radishes on.
