The night of death (metaphor)
The night when the strangers came to the Amari’s village turned out to the last day of life to her tribe. With the first explosion, after which “the chief had fallen off his seat, a huge red bleeding hole in the center of his chest” the battle began. It was difficult to call it a battle, as the Ewe tribe representatives had no opportunity to defeat themselves and had little chance to succeed.
“Confusion and dust swirled throughout the village, all was smoke and screams and death.”
The metaphor describes the horrors of the night.
Her father’s voice (metaphor&simile)
When captured, brought to the unknown land and “sold as a cow”, Amari often turned to the memories of her former life, as only in those memories she could find some consolation. She remembered her father and his voice, as “the sound of his deep, gravelly voice had always made her feel safe”. Amari most of all wanted to have this feeling of safety, but she understood that there was no safety in the world of “pale-faced people”.
“His voice was magical; Amari could listen to him all night”.
Not a tribe (metaphor)
The evening when Besa has noticed strangers in the wood, he told Amari about it, and she wondered what tribe they could belong to. But Besa said: “I do not think the Creator made a tribe such as these creatures. They have skin the color of goat’s milk.” The metaphor means that such creatures, who are difficult to be called humans, cannot unite into a tribe, as a tribe, in the local understanding, is a group that shares traditions, rituals and other routines, but the most important thing is that that treat with respect the traditions and way of life of the other tribes, even if those differ from theirs. But a group of people who have no respect to others, and dare to come and kill with no reason, cannot be united into a tribe. When Amari caught a glimpse of these strangers “they smelled of danger”. One of them looked at Amari, and “he had eyes the color of the sky”. All the metaphors foreshadow danger and pain.
Death march (metaphor)
When the Ewe tribe was defeated, more than a half of the people were killed, and the rest were chained and forced to march. Amari cannot remember how many night they have marched like this, chained by six, with little food and water. But she saw how one of them died each day, or few died each day. Before they reached the coast, many of them died, and this march is metaphorically called “death march”. On this march other coffles of slaves would join their group, and “they looked with dead eyes at Amari and her sad little procession”.
The prison for slaves
Amari was brought to a white building made of bricks and stone, but “it smelled of blood and death”. The place where Amari and other captives were spending nights and days before being sold was a terrifying place, and Amari even “could hear wails that seemed to be coming from the walls of the place”. The place was filled with “the odor of sweat and fear, of body wastes and hopelessness”. Amari wanted to cry, but a woman, who she later would make friends with came to her and said: “Crying won’t help, child, this place is slimy with tears.”
