White guilt
Keltner uses similes to enhance the reader's conception of white guilt hanging like filthy puffs of charcoal gray exhaust. The imagery of the white guilt smog hanging around the city air is further made prominent via its comparison to a ring of oven grease.
Keltner notes: "White guilt was like smog in the Bay Area, like filthy puffs of charcoal gray exhaust blasting out of Muni buses and impregnating the city air, hanging around the horizon like a ring of oven grease, but perhaps, at times, contributing to prettier sunsets."
The oil-saturated dust coating the brass chains
Keltner uses a simile to enhance the reader's understanding of the oil-saturated coating on the brass chains to coconut sprinkles. Their imagery is heightened via this comparative language choice. Keltner notes: "Crystal chandeliers drooped with stringy clumps of oil-saturated dust that coated the brass chains like coconut sprinkles."
The collar covering Lindsey's face
A human-produced gas causes Lindsey to pull the collar of her sweater over her face such that it appears like a surgical mask. The comparison of Lindsey's collar's appearance pulled over her face to a surgical mask enhances its imagery while also enhancing appeal. The writer notes: "As she lifted the inside of her sweater collar over her face like a surgical mask, the last assault to her nostrils was a scent akin to wet dog mixed with stale bologna."
The man's boring, laser eyes
The effect of the man's eyes boring through Lindsey is emphasized through their comparison to cigarette burns. Like lasers, the man's intent staring at the boob region of Lindsey's sweater is conceptualized. Keltner notes: "She felt his eyes laser-cutting small holes like cigarette burns into the boob region of her white Banana Republic sweater."
Lindsey's eyes
Lindsey's bulbous eyes are emphasized through their comparison to frying pans. While this is an exaggeration, the simile enables a more profound understanding of Lindsey's shock. Keltner notes: "Lindsey froze, and the way her eyes got as big as frying pans made the butcher cackle like a madman."
