Simile for anxiety and excitement
In Chapter 2, Lina’s feelings of nerves when she sees her boyfriend’s truck are highlighted in a simile in which her heart thumping is likened to a “bounced ball”. She’s so excited to see his truck because it’s a sign that he is near and she’s about to see him, which gives her great excitement, as well as a nervous anticipation.
Simile for anxiety and excitement
In Chapter 1, Maggie’s nerves while playing soccer for her high school team are depicted in the simile “she begins to shake all over like a small bird.” While Maggie is pleased and happy to be playing in the game, she’s also nervous. Again, excitement and anxiety are mingled, similar to Lina’s feelings when going to see her boyfriend. Being likened to a small bird also gives the impression that Maggie is still innocent and helpless, adding to the notion that Mr. Knodel is a predator when he embarks on a relationship with her.
Simile for acknowledgment
In Chapter 4, Maggie’s feelings of acknowledgment are depicted in the simile “the way he gazed at her like a fresh fish he’d caught and was holding up high.” She craves attention and admiration because she doesn't feel special at home. By contrast, she feels admired by Mr. Knodel, which is something she’s not accustomed to because of the nature of her home life. Maggie views Mr. Knodel's actions towards her as nobel and that he is putting her up on a pedestal.
Simile for emotional distance
In Chapter 5, Lina looks back on the state of her parents’ marriage during her childhood. She recounts feeling emotionally distant from her father, acknowledging that although he was physically present, he was not really present. It’s stated, “her mother and her father had never been divorced, but for the whole time her father was like a fish in a tank.” Her father was something she could see, but not touch or communicate meaningfully with.
Simile for emotional distance
In Chapter 8, Lina likes her husband to a man “who felt like a cylinder, something to pass a life through without any accumulation of wisdom or inspiration.” This demonstrates Lina’s feelings of separation from her husband. Although they are married and with each other physically every day, she feels it’s all meaningless because they don’t connect on an emotional level. She feels they are just passing their lives together side by side, without any real connection to each other.
