Explosion simile
Here, the narrator describes the explosion at the beginning of the novel: "I don’t remember hearing an explosion. A hissing sound, maybe, like tearing fabric." He describes the sound as being a “hissing sound” and compares it to “tearing fabric.” In doing so, he immerses the reader in this sensory experience, describing what it would have been like to experience a terror attack.
Chaos metaphor
After the explosion, the narrator describes the scene: "In a fraction of a second, the sky collapses, and the street, fraught with the fervor of the multitude a moment ago, turns upside down". This description shows a complete disturbance of normality. The sky is described as “collapsing” and the street is described as turning “upside down.” Both images are metaphors for the chaos that is unfolding.
Returning home simile
Jaafari describes returning home, saying: "And here I am, back in my neighborhood - like a ghost returning to the scene of the crime". By describing himself as a ghost, he emphasizes how he feels distant from his home. He describes himself as “ returning to the scene of the crime,” which suggests a feeling of guilt.
Eye simile
The Sheik's eyes are described in the following way: "The eyes in his ascetic's face glinted like the blade of a scimitar." By comparing the Sheik’s eyes with something violent like a blade, the narrator foreshadows the danger he is in, and the violence yet to come.
