Mentor like a Schoolboy
At the trade mart, Mentor waves his hand "like a schoolboy hoping for a reward." This image illustrates his impatience but also emphasizes the change of his personality. Instead of a schoolteacher, he is now depicted as the opposite.
The Forest
When Matty gets out of the forest, he feels as if he has been "chewed up and spat out." This metaphor emphasizes that the forest has become hostile toward Matty, losing all respect for him.
The Suffocating Stench
When Matty and Kira go back into the forest, the stench becomes increasingly worse. In fact, "it was like a foul pillow held tightly to their faces, cutting off their air, choking them." The simile, emphasized by a tricolon, illustrates how suffocating the smell was.
The Siege of the Mosquitos
In the forest, Matty and Kira are attacked by a swarm of mosquitos. He compares it to "besieged medieval castles, and men with bows sending so many arrows that the sky seemed thick with them." This simile illustrates the masses of insects attacking the two travelers with the intention of killing or at least harming them. Moreover, the word 'besieged' connotes that the two felt unable to move forward.
Leader's and Kira's Consciousness
Leader's and Kira's consciousness curl around each other "like wisps of smoke," which emphasizes the fragile and transcendent state that both are in, as the word 'smoke' connotes the image of their spirits.
