The Churchill Family (Metaphor)
In the novel's second chapter, Karim discusses Haroon's background and his life before moving to the UK. Karim mentions his father's family's wealth, and how it strongly contrasts with Mum's childhood socioeconomic situation. Mum uses the metaphor of "Winston Churchill" to describe Haroon's wealth, influence, and prestige. Although Haroon is not of the same status once he moves to England, he carries elitist attitudes and behaviors that indicate the privileges he grew up with.
A Home Filled with Mud (Metaphor)
In Chapter Four, Karim states the following: "What a weekend it was, with the confusion and pain between Mum and Dad virtually tangible; if it had had physical substance, their antipathy would have filled our house with mud." In likening his family's dynamics to a home filled with mud, Karim underscores how overwhelmed and uncomfortable he is following Dad's admission of his affair. Mud is rigid, and things often get stuck in it. In this way, Karim feels that the hostility between Mum and Dad is unchanging, and he is caught between the two of them.
Pistol Shots (Simile)
As Haroon prepares to go to Eva's house, Karim describes his strange behavior. He explains that, "Dad pulled up his vest and slapped his bare stomach rapidly with both hands. The noise was loud and unattractive and it filled our small house like pistol shots." In this way, the pistol shots symbolize the hostility, abruptness, and disruption that Haroon is causing his family. His decision to pursue a relationship with Eva has many consequences, and the language Karim uses here indicates his initial aversion to his father's affair.
An Unexplored Desert Island (Simile)
Though Mum is rarely mentioned throughout the novel, Karim offers this description in the novel's opening pages: "Mum was a plump and unphysical woman with a pale round face and kind brown eyes. I imagined that she considered her body to be an inconvenient object surrounding her, as if she were stranded on an unexplored desert island." In likening Mum's body to an unexplored desert island, Karim highlights her unattractiveness and her general state of neglect. She is portrayed as unwanted and undesired, and perhaps also lacking confidence to present herself differently. This portrayal underscores her loveless relationship with Haroon.
Like Clumsy Giraffes (Simile)
In contrast to Karim's description of his mother, he says the following regarding Haroon : "Like many Indians he was small, but Dad was also elegant and handsome, with delicate hands and manners; beside him most Englishmen looked like clumsy giraffes." Throughout the novel, Haroon is exoticized and Othered by his white clients. Throughout history, racist caricatures often depict non-white figures as animals in order to diminish their humanity and promote hate. In comparing white Englishmen to giraffes, Karim reclaims this narrative device.
