World Turned Upside Down (Metaphor)
At the beginning of the novel, Raphael establishes the impoverished circumstances in which he, Gardo, and Rat live as boys who sort through garbage. He then says, "My unlucky-lucky day, the day the world turned upside down? That was a Thursday." In this metaphor, Raphael uses the figurative language of the world turning upside down to emphasize how radically his life changes when he finds José Angelico's wallet in the trash. The discovery leads to such a profound disruption of his usual life that is as though the world has flipped over and created an entirely different reality.
The Right Key Busts the Door Wide Open (Metaphor)
Among the possessions Raphael finds with José's wallet is a key with a yellow plastic tag. He isn't sure what to make of it but Raphael comments on the key in his narration: "A long time later I would think to myself: Everyone needs a key. With the right key, you can bust the door wide open. Because nobody’s going to open it for you." Thinking of the key in metaphorical terms, Raphael reflects on how people in circumstances like his need to find some way of escaping. Because his poverty and the systemic oppression that perpetuates it are like a wall he cannot get past, Raphael needs some way to bust open an entryway to a better world.
Break the Ice (Metaphor)
Upon arriving at Colva Prison, Olivia and Gardo meet a man who identifies himself as a social welfare officer. Olivia says, "He had a very warm smile, and he shook my hand and introduced himself as Mr Oliva. I told him my name was Olivia, and it seemed to break the ice instantly." In this metaphor, Olivia uses the figure of speech "break the ice" to illustrate how the coincidence of her name being nearly the same as Mr. Oliva's helps to endear her to someone who might have otherwise acted standoffish.
Like Precious Water (Simile)
When narrating her section of the novel, Olivia explains that a life-or-death need for money prompted the boys to fool her into helping them. Olivia says, "Money … is more important, and it is dripping all the time, like precious water. Some drink deep; others thirst. Without money, you shrivel and die." In this simile, Olivia compares money to "precious water" to emphasize the relationship between money and survival. She extends the comparison, further emphasizing her point that to live in poverty is akin to dying slowly of dehydration.
A River of Blue (Metaphor)
During a section of the novel that Rat narrates, Rat comments on how the police arrive at the Behala dumpsite to further investigate the boys. Rat says, "He got back, and the police came in. Almost before we had time to talk, we heard the siren, and oh my God, it was a river of blue!" In this metaphor, Rat refers to the police siren light cast over their camp as a "river of blue." In doing so, he emphasizes how the light's sudden incursion in the area is akin to a great flood of water coming through.
