Mister Salgado's Scent (Olfactory Imagery)
When Triton first meets Mister Salgado, he notes how Mister Salgado's perfume recalled the scent of "cinnamon bushes." The perfume is alluring, yet deceptive because it smelled "heady and unnatural." Triton reflects that the "unnatural" scent of the perfume mirrors the secrets and lies in Mister Salgado's interpersonal relationships.
Mister Pando’s Shrieks (Auditory Imagery)
When Mister Pando's wife discovers his infidelity, she punishes him by slathering his body with red chili powder. His shrieks of pain draw the entire neighborhood's attention and pity. Triton compares the man's "bestial sound" of "demonic anguish" to the screams of a "gut-roasted bird" or a "punctured pig." Triton proclaims that the cry was "loud enough to dwarf the entire history of sound" in their neighborhood or even the entire country. This auditory imagery disturbs the peaceful atmosphere of Mister Salgado's which Triton describes in lush detail, foreshadowing how both violence and domestic disputes will inevitably disrupt Triton's life.
Underwater (Visual Imagery)
Though Mister Salgado tirelessly discusses the sea, and Triton spends many months in the oceanside bungalow, Triton only ventures into the coral reef once. He describes "Mister Salgado's real reef" in rich detail, conjuring an overwhelming, mystical atmosphere. "Frightened by its exuberance," Triton swims through the "jungle of writhing shapes" and sea creatures "sprouting and grasping everywhere." Though Mister Salgado is fascinated by the undisturbed chaos, Triton is unnerved.
Fish market (Visceral Imagery)
Nilli and Triton's visit to the fish market leaves Nilli shocked and disgusted by the sight of decaying fish and the slaughter of a dolphin. The text uses phrases such as "gritty wet concrete," "narrow, dark doorway," and "thick, black blood" to conjure a sense of dismal brutality, as the people butchering the fish "have to make a living" somehow. Contrasted with the elaborate seafood dishes Triton prepares, the visceral imagery of the fish market highlights Nili's privilege, as she has never "had reason to" procure her own food.
