The Ocean Could Swallow Him (Metaphor)
After leaving Syria, Mahmoud and his family pay a smuggler to take them from Turkey to Greece, but the rubber dinghy capsizes after hitting protruding rocks. Soon Mahmoud finds himself stranded in the sea: "Here he was at the mercy of nature, an invisible brown speck in an invisible black rubber dinghy in the middle of a great black sea. If it wanted to, the ocean could open its mouth and swallow him and no one in the whole wide world would ever know he was gone." In this metaphor, Gratz emphasizes Mahmoud's sense of insignificance and powerlessness by writing of the ocean as though it is a great devouring creature; rather than drowning, Mahmoud feels as though the creature is swallowing him whole.
Like A Cat Playing (Simile)
When Señor Castillo falls overboard, Isabel dives in to rescue him without a second thought. The ocean she enters is wavy. Gratz writes: "It churned and roiled and roared with bubbles and foam. It beat at her, pushing her and pulling her like a cat playing with the mouse it was about to eat." In this simile, Gratz personifies the aggressive ocean by likening it to a predatory cat that cruelly toys with its much smaller, weaker prey.
Tummy Purred Like an Outboard Motor (Simile)
In the scene that introduces Isabel to the reader, Gratz depicts Isabel feeding a starving cat. Gratz writes: "The cat was hungry, just like everyone else in Cuba, and its belly quickly won out over its fear. ... Its tummy purred like an outboard motor, and it butted its head against Isabel’s hand in between bites." In this simile, Gratz highlights the cat's hunger by comparing the sound of its empty stomach to a loud boat motor.
A Fist Closed Around His Heart (Metaphor)
After boarding a train out of Berlin with his mother and sister, Josef tests a dangerous theory: Believing that none of the German passengers will see him as different if he isn't wearing the armband that marks him as a Jew, Josef removes his armband and walks through the train cars that Jews are barred from entering. When purchasing a newspaper and some candy, Josef accidentally removes his armband from his pocket while searching for a coin. Gratz writes: "It fluttered to the floor, the Star of David landing face up for all the world to see. A fist closed around Josef’s heart, and he dove for the armband." In this metaphor, Gratz illustrates the acute terror Josef feels by describing his internal sensation as though a hand is literally squeezing the boy's heart.
The Mediterranean Was Still Attacking (Metaphor)
Having spent hours trying to stay afloat in the ocean, Mahmoud and his mother begin to lose the energy they need to kick against the rough waters. Gratz writes: "The Mediterranean was still attacking them, wave after wave trying to drown them, and Mahmoud could tell that his mother didn’t want to fight anymore." In this metaphor, Gratz personifies the ocean by writing of it as though it is sentient and wants to kill Mahmoud and his mother. In doing so, Gratz emphasizes Mahmoud's feeling that the indifferent ocean is a violent creature determined to drown him.
