Face like a turtle
While at the café, the narrator describes the face of the girl sitting next to her by directly likening her look to that of a turtle. The comparison elicits a conception of the girl’s face as rather unappealing. The narrator notes: “There’s a man with a girl sitting next to me. […] and she has a face like a turtle.” The simile enhances the imagery of the girl’s looks in the reader’s subconscious.
The appearance of Hubert’s face
The imagery of Hubert’s face is made explicit through the use of a simile. In particular, the ridges that cover the most of his face are perceived when his face is compared to a mountain range with valleys: “Hubert’s face was like a mountain range with valleys…” The effect and aftermath of the ants that the narrator places on his face are thus made more comprehensible.
Hubert’s breath
The imagery of Hubert becomes more prevalent as the narrator employs more image evoking language. The narrator describes his mouth as ‘half-open’ and uses a simile to present the appearance of his breath: “…his breath came out of it like a cloud.” The comparison of Hubert’s breath to a cloud enhances the reader’s understanding of its image.
Fear
After being fired, Doris finds it difficult to go back home and is terrified. The writer enhances a profound understanding of the extent of Doris’s fear by comparing her shaking to that of a leaf. The writer notes: “Because I’ve been fired and I’m shaking like a leaf. And I’m terrified of having to go home.”
“…breathes heavily like a locomotive”
The heavy breathing that the Pimple Face has after catching the narrator is brought out through the employment of a simile: “So the guy jumps up and clutches me and breathes heavily like a locomotive about to leave the station.” While the simile is an exaggeration, it emphasizes the man’s fast breathing and enhances imagery.
