The Skin of an Orange
“Synclastic (sin-classtick) means curved toward the same side in all directions, like the skin of an orange.” (Ch. 1)
This explanatory simile is a rather pleasant one for Vonnegut, all things considered. It is part of a small paragraph explaining the nature of a chrono-synclastic infundibulum, a space phenomenon into which Rumfoord and his dog flew in their spacecraft, irrevocably altering the state of their existence. The particular simile of the "skin of an orange" is a skillful comparison of the otherworldly to the mundane, painting it in a relatable and understandable light.
A Great Bronze Gong
“Somewhere on the estate a mastiff bayed. The baying sounded like the blows of a maul on a great bronze gong.” (Ch. 1)
At this point in the novel, Constant has just arrived at the Rumfoord mansion, where he has been summoned to witness the materialization of Winston Niles Rumfoord, and he is standing in the courtyard contemplating the fountain. When the dog (Kazak) bays, Constant realizes that he should hurry inside. This simile, comparing the dog's baying to a giant gong, emphasizes the great, life-changing event that's about to take place, as well as the fact that Constant should probably hurry inside to as not to miss the materialization.
Bred Like Farm Animals
“Not married exactly—" he said, "but bred by the Martians—like farm animals.” -Rumfoord (Ch. 1)
In this scene, Rumfoord is telling Malachi Constant about his future. He says that he will visit Mars, then Mercury, then Earth again, and then finally Titan, and that he will be bred "like farm animals" with Rumfoord's wife, Beatrice, by the Martians. This prophetic simile is extraordinarily effective in making the sentence sound repulsive and inhumane; the comparison to breeding animals is brutal, and it makes the reader realize how senseless the violence and terror are in this novel.
A Punchbowl in Hell
“The swimming pool looked less like a facility for sport than like a punchbowl in hell.” (Ch. 2)
In this scene, Constant is lying on a raft in his swimming pool after a long, exhausting party at his house. The pool, far from pristine blue water, has been filled with all manner of colored liquids, cigarette butts, and other garbage that makes it look "like a punchbowl in hell." This simile adds a considerable amount of humor to the scene while emphasizing Constant's incredible debauchery and recognizing it as a fatal flaw by tying its results to hell.
A Ping-Pong Ball in a Frying Pan
“He began to shrink, to fizz crazily on the foyer floor like a ping-pong ball in a frying pan.” (Ch. 2)
At the end of the materialization, Beatrice Rumfoord calls to Kazak, who begins to run toward her, but as he does so, he is recalled back to space, shrinking and dematerializing before he can reach his owner's wife. This particular simile, comparing the shrinking dog to a ping-pong ball in a frying pan, gives the scene an air of futile humor while augmenting the sense of senseless randomness that causes such a powerful dog to be humbled in such a way.
