Minds As Clocks (Metaphor)
In a dream sequence, Roya tells Lisa Simpson that humans "treat our minds like crowns, these magnificent crowns on our magnificent autonomies. But our minds aren’t crowns. They’re clocks" (Chapter 5). This metaphor comments on the way humans relate to time through their thoughts. Roya goes on to quote Adélia Prado, who said, "It’s why we invest everything in our stories. Stories are the excrement of time." Here, Akbar shifts the perception of human autonomy and grandeur to one of mechanistic inevitability. A crown symbolizes royalty and individual supremacy, suggesting that we view our minds as sovereign entities. However, the clock metaphor disrupts this by revealing that our minds are instruments of time. They are mechanical and driven by rhythms beyond our control. Akbar implies that our narratives and personal histories are by-products of time passing.
Shame Like a Monogram (Simile)
Roya compares shame to a monogram stitched into one's identity in the quote, "When you are ten, shame stitches itself into you like a monogram, broadcasting to the world what holds you, what rules your soul" (Chapter 6). Here, Akbar highlights how personal and visible this emotion feels, especially in childhood. Shame is an internal experience, yet it also seems to indelibly mark an individual. The idea of "broadcasting" indicates the constant fear of judgment. It makes the child feel as though everyone around them is aware of his or her inner turmoil.
Embarrassment Like a Stone (Simile)
Akbar likens embarrassment to a stone in Chapter 6 in the quote, "Roya slid down into her chair, her embarrassment like a stone on her chest, sinking her into the earth." This simile emphasizes the overwhelming and suffocating nature of embarrassment. The stone is metaphorically grounding since it pulls her down, as if her sense of humiliation is inescapable. The weight of this emotion is so substantial that it "sinks her into the earth." This suggests that embarrassment isolates Roya and traps her within herself. The imagery reinforces how embarrassment can feel oppressive, as though it forces one to withdraw and hide.
A Pinwheel of Stars, Lightning under a Fingernail (Simile)
Roya describes her lover, Leila, in the following quote: "This is what she was like: a pinwheel of stars. Lightning under a fingernail" (Chapter 18). This indicates that from Roya's perspective, Leila radiates beauty, light, and a sense of cosmic energy that spirals out in all directions. This phrase suggests something dynamic and overwhelming in Leila's allure. The unusual comparison to "lightning under a fingernail" sharpens the metaphor into something more intimate and electric. Essentially, the suggestion of lightning in such a confined and sensitive space evokes both power and pain. Together, these images portray her as a dazzling and dangerous person who is brimming with energy that cannot be fully contained.
Language As Junk DNA (Metaphor)
While learning English, Roya states that "If so much of my language is junk, both the language of my speech and the language of my body, it seems like a not insignificant portion of my living must be doomed to junk. There’s nothing in my life that isn’t bound to my language, or my DNA" (Chapter 28). By "junk," she refers to useless and replaceable aspects of something. She likens language to an inefficient system bloated with unnecessary and non-functional elements. When applying this perspective to genetics, Roya refers to large portions DNA that do not encode anything functional. Overall, this metaphor explores the futility and chaos embedded in human communication. It reflects on the randomness of both evolution and communication.
