A Pride of Lions
The statement “I was part of his pride” is used metaphorically to establish the relationship between Leo and Bell. Leo considered Bell his family, and so did Bell. The term pride itself has been used many times to refer to the family of Bell and how they cannot live without each other. Just like lions live in groups known as pride where they helped each other, they were expected to live and interact with others. A pride of lions has also been used to encourage them that there is strength in numbers and that they should make contact with others. They came to understand the meaning when a virus attacked them, and they had to seek help from other people. They realized that they cannot manage to live in seclusion forever but had to live communally.
The Sun
“Like the sun in my bedroom, it was all an illusion.” This simile is used to emphasize the long-distance Bell felt between them and Command. Just like seeing the sun in your bedroom gives you an illusion that it is near when in actual sense it is very far away. In the same way, Command always responded quickly as if they are near but in reality, they were so far away. Bell thought about all this, feeling helpless when the virus attacked all the adults leaving them alone to seek help. He felt like they have always been all alone given the duration the supplies took before getting to them. Command had a way of keeping in touch to assure them that they were close by when they were not exactly that close.
A Bird in a Nest
“I felt like a bird in a quiet, safe nest—my home.” This simile has been used to compare how peaceful Bell felt sleeping away from Albie. Every night Albie would snore so loud that Bell had a hard time getting sleep. He had finally fallen asleep in the communication and observation room that he compared to a bird’s safe nest. The nest of a bird is usually warm and safe from predators and that is how he felt sleeping away from Albie who was like a predator in his quiet sleep. He was relieved to be in such a quiet place that was away from distractions of any kind.
A Balloon
“All the excitement had escaped, like air draining from a balloon.” This simile describes the mood that was in the rover after having an encounter with the French people from the other territory. At first, they were so excited to go out all on their own to make contact with the people outside Mars. Air draining from a balloon is normally fast and all at once just like how fast their excitement faded. The encounter was not pleasant and made them so scared they regretted having left home to start with. They realized that the whole experience was not worth it at all.
A Mouse
“Like a mouse in a cage.” Mice are known to be free and wander about normally. The only time mice get trapped in a cage is when caught. The simile has been used by Phinneus to compare the life they were living to that of a mouse in a cage. He was whining about the many rules Sai had set to control them. They were not allowed to move out of the settlement or to even interact with other colonies which to him was not any different from being caged. He did not find their living situation fitting and was worried about the children living like that.
