Mr. Woodifield as a Baby (Simile)
Mansfield introduces readers to Mr. Woodifield in the very first line of the story. The narrator makes it clear from the start that Mr. Woodifield is weak and frail, comparing him to "a baby [that] peers out of its pram" as he surveys his friend's office.
The Fly as a Cat (Simile)
The actions of the fly in ridding itself of ink are compared to those of "a minute cat."
Over and under, over and under, went a leg along a wing, as the stone goes over and under the scythe. Then there was a pause, while the fly, seeming to stand on the tips of its toes, tried to expand first one wing and then the other. It succeeded at last, and, sitting down, it began, like a minute cat, to clean its face.
Electric Heating like Sausages (Metaphor)
As the boss points out his new electric heating to Mr. Woodifield, the narrator describes the contraption as "five transparent, pearly sausages glowing so softly in the tilted copper pan." The use of "pearly" emphasizes the value of these renovations and the pride the boss takes in them. Sausages are also phallic and stereotypically masculine and this imagery bolsters the power and status of the boss.
Office Messenger as a Dog (Simile)
Macey, the boss' office messenger, is described using language that emphasizes the power dynamic between him and the boss. The narrator comments that he "dodged in and out of his cubby-hole like a dog that expects to be taken for a run," suggesting that the boss is his master.
