Smile Like Sunshine (Simile)
As Helen and Jake begin their drive out of Boston, Helen is unhappy that her brother's annoying friend has crashed what should have been a solo journey. However, her mood shifts at least for an instance, because Jake comments on the smile Helen showed him earlier that morning. "'Think I’ll get another one?' [Jake] asked. 'Because that thing was like sunshine.'" In this simile, Jake emphasizes the good feeling–inducing brilliance of Helen's smile by comparing it to light from the sun.
Stumbled Into a Restricted Area (Metaphor)
Early in their long car trip, Jake questions Helen about her life, probing her for information about why she resents her little brother, Duncan, asking if it is because of their family tragedy. In narration, Helen comments: "With that, Jake stumbled into a restricted area." In this metaphor, Helen states that Jake's line of questioning has gone too far for her comfort. The transgression of bringing up her "family tragedy" is akin to trespassing on property that is restricted to those who do not have clearance to proceed, such as on a military base.
Tongue Like a Dead Fish (Simile)
Having lost a game of Scrabble to Jake, Helen agrees to give him a lesson on how to kiss properly. She tells him to keep in mind that kissing involves a push and pull dynamic, warning him not be like "this boy in seventh grade who crammed his tongue in [her] mouth and pushed it around like a dead fish." In this simile, Helen emphasizes the unpleasant sensation of kissing a boy who tried to push his whole tongue into her mouth by likening his tongue to the slimy, stiff lifeless body of a dead fish.
Hit the Brakes (Metaphor)
In the motel room where they stay, Helen and Jake make out with increasing intensity. Before they can have sex, Helen takes a call from her ex-husband for an hour in the bathroom. Afterward, she tries to pick up where she left off with Jake, but he says it isn't a good idea. In the car the next morning, Helen looks back on her marriage and concludes that Jake must be like her ex, who only wanted her when he couldn't have her. Helen narrates: "Three years of marriage counseling had taught me that this particular issue was not a resolvable one. It was lucky—lucky, dammit—that Jake had hit the brakes." In this metaphor, Helen is trying to convince herself that she is grateful Jake put a stop to their sexual encounter the night before, as if he brought a vehicle that was gaining too much momentum to a stop.
Bounded Over Like a Chocolate Lab (Simile)
Before setting out into the backcountry, Helen takes her journal to the one restaurant in the town where the base camp lodge is. She discovers that every other hiker is already at the restaurant, eating and drinking and enjoying each other's company. Feeling left out and intimidated, Helen wonders if she should join the group, commenting, "That's no doubt what Jake would have done—just bounded over like a chocolate Lab with a wagging tail to slip into the pack." In this simile, Helen pokes fun at Jake's affable nature by comparing him to a breed of dog known for its friendly but dim-witted good temperament.
