A Mind-Eating Vulture
"Stop playing with your sorrow; it is a vulture that gnaws at your mind." - Shadow (Scene 1)
This is the first line of dialogue in the play, and it is a dramatic one. With this vivid metaphor, Shadow immediately wins Shorty's ear: Shorty has been languishing in self-pity, and he realizes that this sorrow is only hampering his well-being. The depiction of sorrow as a vulture is particularly apt, especially for those who are prone to depression: sorrow is hovering, waiting until hope is dead before descending and wreaking havoc on a person's mind.
Legwork like Billie Holiday's Voice
"They say his legwork was as sensual as Billie Holiday's voice and his jab as thrilling as Monk's piano." - Micky (Scene 1)
In this section of exposition, Micky is describing Shorty's fighting style in the language of famous jazz musicians. The praise he gives Shorty's legwork and jab are musical in nature, this simile giving Shorty's abilities an artistic quality. These similes convey the sense that Shorty's fighting style is less a strategy than an art form.
The Gambler
"It's like you've thrown the dice and are waiting for them to stop rolling." - Shorty (Scene 1)
In this simile, Shorty is attempting to describe the reason he doesn't feel nervous during fights. By using this particular simile, he compares a fighter to a gambler rolling dice: it's only the beginning of the fight that matters. The fighters' skills will reach an inevitable outcome, like dice in the process of rolling, and the outcome is determined from the starting bell. Gamblers just gamble money, though; fighters gamble their lives.
The Jungle in New York City
"The boxing world may very well be a jungle but it's a jungle that has rules." - Shadow (Scene 1)
This metaphor, spoken by Shadow to Ketchel in the opening interview, is simultaneously painting a wild and dangerous picture of the boxing world and demonstrating that this wild and dangerous world has some governing principles. The overall effect is exactly what Shadow intends: the boxing world may be crazy, but it won't allow foolishness like Ketchel's challenge to Shorty.
Like a Cigarette Butt
"Little jerk! Sooner or later, I'll crush him. I'll crush him like a cigarette butt." - Shadow (Scene 1)
This dramatic simile emphasizes the disrespectful condescension with which Shadow plans to exact his revenge on Ketchel, describing Shadow as several planes of being superior to Ketchel. Just like a man grounding out a cigarette butt with his foot, Shadow will destroy Ketchel without even deigning to touch him, seeing him as little more than trash to be disposed of.
