Axolotl Eyes (Simile)
The narrator of "Axolotl" describes the axolotls' eyes as "two orifices, like brooches, wholly of transparent gold, lacking any life but looking, letting themselves be penetrated by my look, which seemed to travel past the golden level and lose itself in a diaphanous interior mystery" (5). The narrator values the axolotls' difference from human beings, and feels that his identification with the axolotls is valuable because it isn't based on what he considers reductive anthropomorphism, like when human beings identify with primates. Comparing the axolotls' eyes to brooches reinforces his valuation.
Irene's Hands (Simile)
The narrator of "House Taken Over" describes his sister Irene's hands when she knits as being "like silver sea-urchins, needles flashing" (12) in order to emphasize the almost inhuman efficiency with which Irene knits. Later, when he finds the drawer full of knitted garments gathering dust, he says the drawer was "like a shop" (12) it was so full. These similes demonstrate Irene's prolificity when it comes to knitting and, ultimately, the uselessness of the skill.
Panting Dialogue of Lovers (Simile)
Cortázar describes the dialogue of the lovers in the estate owner's novel in "Continuity of Parks" as being "like a rivulet of snakes, and one felt it had all been decided from eternity" (64). The simile imbues their exchange with a lively unpredictability, while the second half of the statement, that their dialogue "had all been decided," emphasizes their lack of agency as characters in the novels.
Some Kind of Infinite Naughtiness (Simile)
In "Bestiary," when Isabel brings The Kid a tumbler full of cold lemonade, Cortázar describes him looking at the lemonade as "like someone looking at some kind of infinite naughtiness" (93). This statement, specifically the use of the word "naughtiness," underscores the way the Kid infantilizes and dominates Rema.
A Gossamer Filament of Angel-Spit (Simile)
In "Blow-Up," when the young man runs away from the older woman after Michel snaps the photo, Michel describes him running: "he turned and broke into a run, the poor kid, thinking that he was walking off and in fact in full flight, running past the side of the car, disappearing like a gossamer filament of angel-spit in the morning air" (125). The description emphasizes the kid's vulnerability and delicate nature in the eyes of Michel.
