Life in their Hands
The phrase “My life is in their hands” has been used to metaphorically mean that they were completely in charge of him at that moment. It is used to emphasize how helpless Luther felt in that situation since he could not move any part of his body. He needed them to help lower him down without any further injuries. He was aware that any wrong move they would make in the process would lead to him sustaining more injuries and there was nothing he could do to stop it from happening.
Speeding like an Avalanche
The ice on the front side of the roof made Luther slide down very fast toward the concrete driveway. The narrator compares the speed by which Luther sped down to an avalanche when he says, “Luther sped like an avalanche toward certain death.” Avalanches are known to fall rapidly down the mountainside the same way Luther raced down. The simile is used to exaggerate the speed by which Luther was heading down and the magnitude of injuries he would have sustained had it not been for his neighbors saving him midway.
Barking like an Admiral
Nora was feeling overwhelmed given the little time they had to make Christmas a success for Blair and her fiancé. She was all over the place giving orders for things to be done correctly and quickly. Just like an Admiral is always commanding his army the same way Nora was commanding Luther when the narrator says, “'And after that, start bringing Frosty up,' she barked like an admiral.” The comparison has been used to emphasize the kind of authority Nora felt giving out orders on what was to be done without delays and with no complaints.
Dark as a Cave
Luther had gone over to the Scheel’s home to give them his Bahamas tickets as a Christmas gift. They had switched off most of their lights as it was late into the night. The darkness that was in their house has been compared to that of a cave when the narrator says, “The Scheels’ home, dark as a cave just moments earlier, was now alive with lights.” The simile has been used to stress the magnitude of the darkness that was in the house. After being given the tickets, they switched on the lights excited to pack for the trip. The simile also accentuates how good news can bring a lot of liveliness to a home as seen when their house suddenly was well-lit from the excitement of packing.
Sweating like a Sprinter
Spike was helping Luther set up the Christmas tree from Trogdon’s house. He was in a rush to beat time before his daughter would get home for Christmas. Sprinters sweat a lot because of the energy they put into finishing the race. The Christmas tree was heavy and therefore he used a lot of energy moving it. His sweating has been compared to that of a sprinter in the statement, “I’ll clean it later, said Luther, who was sweating like a sprinter.“ The comparison was used to show how rigorous lifting the Christmas tree was and to exaggerate how much he was sweating.
