In the Barrios That Stretched Like Tentacles (Simile)
When Esmeralda and her family return to Santurce, she describes the suburb of San Juan as having “barrios [neighborhoods] that stretched like tentacles from the wide avenues and shady plazas.” For a girl used to living in the countryside, the expansive neighborhoods of a city seem wandering and endless. Santiago emphasizes this by comparing the way the city unfolds to tentacles.
As Stiff As Paper Dolls (Simile)
Esmeralda describes getting together with her family in December. All her cousins are dressed up for the occasion, and “the boys hung back, their pomaded hair and scrubbed faces serious, their pressed pants making them look as stiff as paper dolls.” Santiago uses a simile to highlight how uncomfortable her cousins are with ironed pants so stiff they appear to be paper dolls, unmoving—a state that is quickly broken once they begin to run around and get dirty.
A Soft Giant That Filled My Chest (Metaphor)
Upon returning to Macún, Esmeralda is elated to be back home. Seeing the familiar sights as they approach, Esmeralda describes feeling “taken over by a soft giant that filled my chest and head, its too large heart pounding against my ribs.” The metaphor expresses the intense emotion Esmeralda feels, comparing the buildup of excitement to a soft giant filling her chest.
As If the Floor Would Break Under My Weight (Simile)
Esmeralda notices Ramona has been crying over Pablo; Ramona pretends to smile and Esmeralda pretends not to notice her tears. Walking into the room, Esmeralda says “ [I] stepped lightly, as if the floor would break under my weight.” Santiago uses a simile to highlight the tension in the room. The situation is so delicate that Esmeralda feels the floor could give under her weight if she steps wrong. As a child, Esmeralda is attuned to these moments of tension and learns to respond carefully to avoid conflict, not wanting to make the situation worse.
When Hens Learn to Pee (Metaphor)
Macún suffers a lot of destruction from Hurricane Santa Clara; any building that was too flimsy to withstand the strong winds and pelting rain was washed away along with belongings, animals, and crops. Afterward, Pablo says that the government will help people rebuild, to which a neighbor jokingly responds, “Si cuando las gallinas meen” (when hens learn to pee). Esmeralda understands that hens will never learn to do so. The metaphor, akin to the phrase “when pigs learn to fly,” is a way of saying something is so far-fetched that it will never happen. The implication is that the government will never provide help for the citizens of Puerto Rico to rebuild, and that they will have to do it all on their own.
