Balinese Behavior (Metaphor)
At the beginning of the essay, Geertz describes how he and his wife were originally treated with concentrated apathy by the Balinese. It was only after they decided to flee a raided match with the locals that the villagers accepted them in their community. Geertz refers to this shift metaphorically as crossing the "moral or metaphysical shadow line," emphasizing that the Balinese locals' behavior was consciously enacted and that they could recognize when it was collectively appropriate to change their approach (2).
Inspecting Cocks (Simile)
In discussing the specifics of how men raise cocks and prepare them for fights, Geertz emphasizes how much care and attention the cocks receive. He uses a simile to describe the intensity with which cocks are evaluated and categorized, saying, "they are inspected for flaws with the squinted concentration of a diamond merchant" (6). By comparing handlers to diamond merchants (and therefore cocks to diamonds), Geertz shows the value that fighting cocks have for the Balinese people.
During the Match (Simile)
As Geertz describes the process of the match itself, he explains that the birds have 21 seconds to engage one another until their handlers are allowed to touch them again. If, during those 21 seconds, one bird wounds another, the wounded bird is recovered by its handler and nursed "like a trainer patching a mauled boxer between rounds" (9). In this simile, Geertz compares the wounded cock to a boxer in the ring, suggesting that the fights, though brutal, are not simply bloodshed on display for entertainment.
Side Bets (Simile)
When Geertz explains the difference between the operation of the center bet and that of the side bets, he uses a simile to compare the bets in the crowd to the New York Stock Exchange in the pre-digital age. That is, he compares the two phenomena for their apparent chaos but remarkable organization. Like the pre-digital Stock Exchange, Balinese side wagers are conducted through shouts and gestures between individuals. Interestingly, Geertz notes that these side bets are nearly always honored and paid immediately following a match.
Cross-Allegiances (Simile)
Geertz explains that wagering in cockfights is as much about one's social status and allegiances as it is about money. When the Balinese bet on certain cocks, they are more frequently declaring their allegiance to an owner rather than considering the specific qualities of the cock itself. Geertz uses a simile to describe the conundrum that people with cross-allegiances face: he says that, during a match, these people will disappear for coffee or some other innocent activity rather than wagering at all. He then compares this behavior to Americans who refuse to vote in their elections and choose a particular political side.
