Reed
Jiang reports, “A liberation Army soldier! She was slim and stood straight as a reed.” The allegorical reed accentuates the soldier’s straightness. Her posture sustains that she is alert.
Tree
Jiang recalls, “Like a tree with only one trunk, our alley had only one exit to the busy street.” The lone exit on Jiang’s street corresponds to a single trunk on a tree which necessitates all the branches (streets) to originate from it.
Acrobat
Jiang recalls, “I bent backward until I could grab my ankles like an acrobat.” The reference to an acrobat highlights Jiang’s elasticity and dexterity which qualifies her for the Liberation Army.
