A Movie
The simile "their story like a movie" is used to convey the idea that the narrator's parents' life journey is incredibly captivating, dramatic, and worth being portrayed in a cinematic format. By likening their experiences to a movie, the author suggests that their story is filled with noteworthy events, emotional highs and lows, and a narrative that is both compelling and memorable. This simile serves to highlight the exceptional nature of the parents' journey as refugees and immigrants, emphasizing that their lives are worthy of being celebrated and remembered on the silver screen.
A Native
The simile "English is your second language, but you speak it like a native" is used to emphasize the protagonist's remarkable fluency in English despite it not being their first language. It implies that the protagonist has mastered English to such a degree that their command over the language is on par with that of a native English speaker. This simile serves as a powerful symbol of the protagonist's assimilation into American culture and their deep connection with English literature which has become a vital part of their identity.
Negative space
The metaphor "you are the negative space in someone else's life and memory" is a poignant way to capture the profound feeling of absence and emptiness experienced by the narrator who is reflecting on their long-lost sister and the impact of being separated as refugees. The negative space represents the void left by the missing sister. It signifies not only her physical absence but also the gaps in the narrator's memories and experiences due to the separation. The phrase underscores the lingering guilt and sadness associated with their separation, suggesting that this emotional void can never truly be filled.
A child singing too eagerly
In the given simile "She begins clapping her hands and singing in a disjointed, breathless way, like a child singing too eagerly," the author is vividly portraying the behavior of the woman named Trinh in the psychiatric ward. The simile draws a parallel between Trinh's actions and a child singing with excessive enthusiasm. It emphasizes the sense of innocence, spontaneity, and lack of self-consciousness in Trinh's behavior akin to how a child might express joy without inhibition. The use of "disjointed" and "breathless" further underscores the idea that her singing is unstructured and exuberant much like the unfiltered enthusiasm and abandon often seen in children who sing without restraint and may stumble over their words or lose their breath due to their eagerness.
Korean pop stars
The simile "My father, slim as one of today’s Korean pop stars" draws a vivid and striking comparison between the author's father and the slim physique of contemporary Korean pop stars. In this context, the simile suggests that the father's body was as trim and fashionable as those Korean pop stars who are often known for their youthful and slender appearances. This simile also hints at the idea that the father might have been considered stylish or trendy in his time just as Korean pop stars are known for their fashion-forward image.
