Pounding Like Drums (Simile)
Grann writes about an Osage ritual, “When a scouting party spotted a herd, Ne-kah-e-se-y and the other hunters raced on their horses across the plains, the hooves pounding the earth like drums, the manes whipping the riders’ sweating, gleaming faces.” He uses the simile of hooves "pounding the earth like drums" to give a sense of the speed and power of the horses, as well as the awe-inspiring sight of the riders themselves.
The Furnace of Ambition (Metaphor)
Grann describes Hale's initial business failures in the following way: “Hale soon went bankrupt—an embittering failure that only stoked the furnace of his ambition." He uses the metaphor of a furnace to describe his growing ambitions to suggest the intensity of his drive and the anger animating it.
Tether (Metaphor)
Grann writes, “Mollie kept vigil over her mother, one of the last tethers to the tribe’s ancient way of life." He uses the metaphor of a tether to say that Mollie's mother plays a special role within the tribe. The image of a tether demonstrates her importance as a link to the past, including the tribe's history and traditions.
Like a Novel (Simile)
Grann makes the following comparison while writing about White looking through the case files: “The files on the murders of the Osage contained history in its rawest form: bits of data vacuumed up without any chronology or narrative, like a novel whose pages were out of order.” He says that the files are like a disordered novel to give the sense that the information is in complete disarray and fails to relate a cohesive narrative.
Oil Derricks Like An Angel of Death (Simile)
Depicting the oil derricks in Pawhuska, Grann writes, “With its great black wings of spray, arcing above the rigging, it rose before them like an angel of death.” He compares the spray to the wings of "an angel of death" to strongly suggest that oil being discovered on the reservation will end badly. He uses this simile to create an ominous mood.
