The grand buildings
The palatial, splendid, and extravagant nature of the buildings that house the countries owned by the British is brought out through the employment of a simile. Specifically, the narrator compares the buildings to castles, a situation which emphasizes their lavish appearance: “Some of them were grand like castles.”
Emily’s attachment
Being threatened is one way of getting one to do what is necessary and this works particularly well with Emily. After being threatened by her Mother, Emily attaches herself to the narrator to avoid getting into the promised trouble. Her attachment is brought out through the use of a simile: “Emily attached herself to me like soot to a miner.”
The glistening sweat
Queenie introduces the black man through intense descriptions. His sweat is said to be the smell of mothballs whereas the drops of sweat on his forehead are directly compared to shining jewels. In this way, imagery is enhanced: “The droplets of sweat on his forehead glistened and shone like jewels.”
The bulged lips
The imagery of the black man becomes more prevalent as the narrator, Queenie, employs more intricate presentations. The man’s lips are compared to bicycle tyres, a situation that enhances the visualization of his bulbous lips: “His lips were brown, not pink like they should be, and they bulged with air like bicycle tyres.”
Jean’s laugh
The sudden Jean’s laugh is brought out through a language use technique that enables its comparison to another event. In a way, comparing Jean’s cackle to falling pebbles facilitates a more profound understanding of his laugh: “Then suddenly Jean laughs, a cackle like pebbles falling down a washing-board.”
