Possibilities
The very first direct use of metaphor in the book is, "But these are only a few possible arcs to a life, a handful of shooting stars in the night sky." The reference is to a girl named Misty Zimmerman. The metaphorical image of shooting stars symbolically represents the idea of all the myriad possibilities existing for a teenage girl as long as tragedy doesn't strike her down.
Darkness
Darkness is one of those words that shows up in metaphorical imagery over and over again. "There must be that second, bobbing and darting in the aliveness of their shared history, unmistakable, glowing like a firefly in the darkness." This is a novel about bad choices masquerading as the fickle finger of fate in the universe of the Coen Brothers. A character is here using a simile to describe the feeling of recognizing when a moment in life becomes one that alters destiny. The truth is that in this case, that second isn't a firefly but an inferno.
A Streetcar Named Pessimism
An eleven-year-old boy has gone missing and his father is panicked. And also racked with guilt. "Shenkman has never been a believer in the kindness of strangers, and now more than ever, the world feels like a vast, cold place. Dog eat dog." The phrase at the end is a familiar metaphorical image of a world without compassion. The opening words of this quote are an allusion to the final words of a main character in the play A Streetcar Named Desire. The phrase "kindness of strangers" thus becomes a kind of metaphor for a world where compassion and empathy can be depended upon to protect the defenseless.
Character Description
Similes are used abundantly to delineate characters and provide insight into their psychological state of mind. "She feels a familiar flash of anger—that kindled rage always ready to burst into flames—but just as quickly, it’s doused." This image of a woman seemingly always on the verge of an angry outburst is an example repeated often. The comparative power of similes is effectively used to remind readers of the long-term effects of trauma, especially when it is being suppressed or repressed.
The Magic Tree
A large oak literally plays a significant role in the drama. Over the decades, however, it will come to gain more importance to the story on a metaphorical level. "Her roots spread far beneath the pavement, invisible, a whole system they’ll never see. Hundreds of tiny lights twinkle, even in the sunshine." A character is giving symbolic meaning to the tree in this instance which connects it to the entire universe. The part about the lights is intended, within context, to tie the root system beneath the oak directly to the stars existing within the hugeness of superclusters of galaxies across the universe.
