Salvation for everyone (Metaphor)
The Harvard Square is popular place, which means that it is always or almost always over-crowded. This fact makes it perfect for spreading different ideas, which is why there is “always one selling God” there. Representatives of different churches and sects were selling their brochures to “sinners”, promising them to show a right way to salvation.
Terrible news (Metaphor)
Initially, Alice is convinced that her memory problems might be caused with menopause. Later on, she starts suspecting that she might have a brain tumor. But only when she hears the truth, she feels how these words “knock the wind out of her”. She is completely shocked and absolutely scared. She can’t believe it, “this can’t be possible”, for she is “only fifty”.
Self-control (Metaphor)
When Alice starts suspecting that something is wrong with her memory, she goes to Dr. Tamara Moyer, who has been Alice’s physician. They used to meet only for “preventative checkups”. Alice tells her that she forgets “names, words in conversation” and many other things and notices that her confession doesn’t “seem to grab her in any way”. This calmness deludes Alice and she relaxes. However, this is only evidence of Moyer’s professionalism. Having understood that Alice’s memory problems are not due to menopause, she makes everything possible in order not to awake more worries in Alice’s mind.
Inseparable (Simile)
Alice attends a lot of conferences, because she is a star of psycholinguistics, a gifted teacher and a mesmerizing speaker. Her lectures are always packed with eager listeners, who catch her every word. This is a very busy life and Alice is constantly on her way. She spends more time at an airport, than at home and her suitcase on wheels always accompanies her “like a loyal pet”. Her suitcase is really like a favorite pet for her, because it is an irreplaceable part of her traveling life.
Emotionless (Simile)
When Alice tells Dr. Moyer about her problems with memory, she notices that Dr. Moyer listens to the information “like a priest listening to a teenage boy’s admission of impure thoughts about a girl”. Even if Dr. Moyer is surprised or worried with the things she hears, she doesn’t betray it. Her face is calm, almost emotionless; she keeps her suspicions to herself. She makes everything possible in order not to give Alice an additional reason to worry. However, she is also rather honest with her, when she says that Alice’s memory problems might have nothing to do with menopause.
An unexpected turn of events (Simile)
Alice and Lydia can’t see eye to eye every time they discuss Lydia’s future. Her youngest daughter doesn’t want to waste her life on academic career, preferring to pursue her dream. She even moves to Los Angeles in order to have a chance to go to acting auditions. When Alice rings Lydia’s doorbell, Lydia looks “like a squirrel caught facing an oncoming car in the road”. This horrified expression appears on Lydia’s face due to the fact that she is not expecting her mother to come earlier than they agreed.
