Active (from Curly Red) (Metaphor)
Lili Rose’s dad had always “driven himself hard, working (plumber, pipe fitter), drinking heavily, smoking, raging.” He’d been involved all his working life “with union politics.” “Feuds with employers, and with other union members and organizers.” Every election, her dad was “in fever for weeks.” He was one of those men who were always “involved behind the scenes.” He was “a local character, a known person.” John Dellamore wanted to change the world and believed that he could do it, for he was an embodiment of power, fire, and extremely strong will.
Emotional suffering (from Aiding and Abetting) (Metaphor)
Holly loved her younger brother. She had always been involved in his life, protecting and supporting him, feeling responsible for him and his happiness. It would be a great underestimation to say that Steven – Holly’s husband – hated Owen. The man believed that Owen was a skillful manipulator and a rather selfish person. Steven was sure that Owen was “eating” her “alive.” Holly cared about her brother too much to Steven’s liking, he thought that he and their children deserved it more.
A dangerous territory (Cumberland Breakdown) (Metaphor)
Just like any other teenager, Tyrell liked to joke that – sooner or later – he would end up in “the Red Bank Boy’s Detention.” “All the guys” did that and found this topic immensely funny. However, Tyrell “would never joke like this” that their father “could hear.” Unlike his children, the man did think that it was that amusing; this topic was too “close to a bone.” Of course, he was worried that Tyrell – being immature – would do something that would lead to the Red Bank Boy’s Detention.
Like an adult (from Curly Red) (Simile)
Liza Deaver might look like an adult but she wasn’t one. She was fifteen, “with thick glasses, a splotched turtle face, and a slow whiny manner of speech.” She was “as fattish and mature as a grown woman, in special-education class at Franklin Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School.” That girl was raped by Leo, Martin, and several other boys who – of course – denied their responsibility.
Exhausted (from the Girl with the Blackened Eye) (Simile)
She thought that she had seen her mother at some point. That happened “in the parking lot.” There were “shoppers, mostly women,” and her mom “was one of them.” Of course, she knew that it couldn’t be her, “so far from home,” “hundreds of miles from home,” so it couldn’t be her, but still the girl believed that she had seen her mother. Yet she couldn’t even wave to her, her arms were “as heavy as lead.” Beating and terror exhausted her.
