Shook like a puppy
It is a rainy season, and when Cushla comes across children arriving at school, she notices Davy still needs to put on his coat. The cold makes Davy shake like a puppy. The narrator says, "He shook his head like a puppy, showering her with raindrops." Unlike other children, Davy does not have a coat because his family cannot afford one. The simile is significant because it shows Davy's vulnerability. Cushla vows to do everything she can to support Davy's family financially.
An Anthem (Simile)
Cushla is a teacher in a Catholic school, and it is routine for the children to recite Hail Mary before classes begin in the morning. The narrator likens the reciting of the prayer to the football anthem. The narrator says, "She led them in Hail Mary, their mouths so accustomed to reciting it the words were slurred, just sounds and intonations, like an anthem sung at a football match." The simile is vital in the text because it highlights the Catholic traditions in their learning institutions. Catholic authorities require their students to follow the church's doctrine strictly, and such rules include reciting the Hail Mary prayer every day.
The tarmac (Simile)
After the explosion of the bomb in town, the falling of the buildings is likened to hail. The narrator says, "It looked like a photograph until the car bulged and exploded into a great ball of smoke and fire, and its doors somersaulted away from it, glass from the surrounding buildings falling like hail onto the tarmac." The simile is important because it shows the impact of war and conflicts. The confrontation between the British Army and the opposing side resulted in devastating losses.
