Carpet Beater Simile
In chapter two, Prince Brat's tutor "raised the switch and beat the whipping boy like a carpet." Before the advent of vacuum cleaners it was customary to clean the carpet with a carpet-beater, a large, flat paddle-shaped implement that would literally beat the dust and dirt from a rug. This Simile illustrates how hard the tutor was beating Jemmy as to beat the dirt from a carpet was a physical labor that took all of one's strength and might.
Spikes In Shoes Simile
In chapter three Jemmy tells Prince Brat , "And don't you get me thrashed so that this hide of mine feels like the devil run me over with spikes in his shoes?"
This simile describes how painful Jemmy's backside was even when the whipping was over. It also shows the malicious intent with which it was gone as Jemmy compared the feeling to " the devil" running over him which of course would be done with evil at the core, and also emphasizes the additional pain by saying he had spikes in his shoes.
Lantern Metaphor
In chapter four Jemmy complains that he would need "two hands and a lantern to find me own nose". This is a metaphor for the total darkness the fog has plunged them into as it is so heavy that Jemmy would not be able to identify his own facial features without touching the rest of his face and shining a light to ascertain where his face was in the first place.It is also a metaphor for the fact they are blundering about in the fog without a plan and in total darkness as to what their intent is going to be.
Striking Snake Simile
In chapter four, the hand that comes through the fog to catch him is "like a snake striking". This description not only illustrates the speed and surprise of the movement but also the malevolent intent as snakes strike with the intention of disabling their prey before killing them.
On The Hoof Metaphor
In chapter five the scoundrels talk about the value of a prince "on the hoof" which is a metaphor for the fact that he is running away. The metaphor refers to the fact that when people were running away or escaping from something in historical times they were generally doing so on horseback hence the metaphor "on the hoof" referring to the horses' feet.
Reserved Seats In Hell Metaphor
Jemmy writes to the king and tells him that the outlaws have "reserved seats in Hell" which is a metaphor for the fact that they are evil, dangerous and ruthless men who would be unlikely to get to Heaven but are planning on earning a spot in Hell instead and are therefore not afraid of either earthly or next-life punishment and have nothing to lose as a result.
