Holding a Knife Like an Assassin (Simile)
Raman thinks back on his former customers sourly: “What about the government hospital surgeon who flourished his knife like an assassin and made money and acquired the much-coveted building sites beyond the railway crossing.” This comparison of the hospital surgeon to an assassin suggests that he is violent and ruthless in his business dealings.
Like a Zoologist (Simile)
While Raman is with Daisy, he notices the cold way she observes him: “He studied her face for a moment to detect, if possible, some encouragement. But she looked business-like and detached, like a zoologist watching an ant.” This simile depicts Daisy's clinical manner of speaking and interacting. She treats Raman like an object of study and not a person.
Climbing the Tamarind Tree (Metaphor)
Daisy refers to a proverb while describing her night spent sleeping in a tree. “When you are married to the devil, you must be prepared to climb the tamarind tree.” The proverb refers to the idea that when one has chosen a dangerous life, one has always to be prepared to escape. This metaphor illustrates that Daisy does difficult, challenging work and, as a result, sometimes has to act quickly to evade disaster.
Like a General (Simile)
Daisy is described in the following way before setting out on her three-year-long journey across India: “She was like a general, planning a campaign.” This simile gives a strong impression of her relentless attention to detail and passionate drive for the cause of family planning.
Dented Armor (Metaphor)
Raman begs Daisy to stay with him at the end of the novel and he notices that she starts to get upset. After seeing this, Raman feels "pleased that he had dented her armour.” This metaphor describes how he momentarily hurt her feelings and forced her to show emotion, revealing that she did really love him, even if she couldn't spend her life with him.
