Metaphor: Sophie's breaking of her hymen
Before breaking her hymen, Sophie remembers the story of a woman who suffered from uncontrolled bleeding for numerous years. The woman was assured by Erzulie that if she were to give up her human form and become something else, the bleeding would stop. The woman did just that and she turned into a butterfly. In a metaphorical way, Sophie turns herself into a butterfly as well when she breaks her own hymen. There is blood and there is pain but there is also transformation. By making her mother think that she disobeyed her, Sophie is able to become free and control her own body.
Metaphor: Family
Atie tells Sophie about her family and their background, stating, "We are a family with dirt under our fingernails" (20). This metaphor is effective because it is easy to imagine dirty hands and fingernails and see how this denotes a life of labor, of working the land, of being outside and deprived of the luxury and ease of being indoors. This statement is Atie's way of telling Sophie that their family is not rich but is deeply connected to the land; her advice is to remember where she came from and to not take anything from granted.
Simile: English
When Sophie starts learning English, which Martine told her was crucial to assimilating, Sophie remarks, "The first English words I read sounded like rocks falling a stream" (66). In this simile we can imagine the discordant, loud, and jolting sound of a rock splashing into the stream. There is no delicacy, no grace—just a plop and a crash. Sophie speaking English in the beginning is just as ignoble and jarring.
Metaphor: Family Resemblance
Grandme marvels at how much Brigitte looks like the family members, stating, "The tree has not split one mite" (105). In this metaphor, she depicts a tree which has not lost any of itself, which is unified and uncut. The Caco women are the same, she suggests, for they look like each other and thus conjure images and memories of the family members who are not physically present.
Metaphor: Love
When Sophie meets Joseph, she remembers "Tante Atie once said love is like rain. It comes in a drizzle sometimes. Then it starts pouring and if you're not careful it will drown you" (67). This simile and metaphor uses rain to get at the way love can feel to someone, and the elation and despair that can come from it. If love is a drizzle, it is less impactful, but it can come upon a person very quickly and pour down on them. They must be careful with love because like the rain it can "drown" them. Sophie's love for Joseph starts as a drizzle and then pours, and while she is not drowned, she is often left treading water.
