Chairman Mao was like the sun
The narrator, like many other children in China during Mao’s time, is taught how important a person Chairman Mao was. The writer uses a simile in which Mao is directly compared to the sun: “… I had been taught Chairman Mao was like the sun itself.” The use of the simile thus emphasizes the importance of Chairman Mao while at the same time bringing out how he was held in high regard and adored.
“Like a benevolent god”
Chairman Mao’s control and influence over almost all facets of life of the people (including children) is emphasized through the use of a simile. Specifically, his presence in the lives of the people is perceived through his comparison to a god: “He presided over our rest and play like a benevolent god…”
The imagery of the narrator’s mother
The appearance of the narrator’s mother after being released from the rightist’s camp and on her arrival home is particularly emphasized through the use of a simile. Her beaten, trampled, and tired state is brought out through the direct comparison of her appearance to that of a beggar: “She came to the house late at night, looking like a beggar traveling with her ragged belongings.”
The imagery of Nai Nai’s raising cheeks after being poked
The imagery of Nai Nai’s cheek after being poked by the narrator is brought out through the use of a simile. The slow rising of the depressed cheek is made explicit through its direct comparison to dough and the simile thus facilitates imagery: “It was a game for me to poke Nai Nai’s cheek and leave a hole that would fill up again only very slowly, like dough.”
Scramble like dogs
The visual image of the children scrambling for candy remaining after the wedding is enhanced through the use of a simile. While comparing the scramble of the children to that of dogs for morsels of meat enhances imagery, it also alludes to their particularly ‘inconsiderate’ and disorderly approach to getting the candy. The narrator notes: “… they could scramble for it like dogs for morsels of meat.”
