10 days marriage – the only failure in life (Metaphor)
Miss Amelia had the reputation of being a strong woman, both physically and mentally. All her deeds were perfect: she had a perfect order in her house, store, and cabinet, and in her mind. But there was one defect which spoiled her perfect lonely life: it was her 10 days marriage. Amelia never loved her husband and this marriage was her the only mistake in life, although very profitable for her. And, as she lived in small town where everybody knew each other, this marriage was a great event in the town, and although many years had passed since that “puzzling marriage”, it was still a great mystery for the dwellers.
The room was still as death (Simile)
The narrator uses this simile to reinforce the effect of astonishment when people, who thought that Amelia had killed the hunchback, saw him at her house safe and sound, and even clean. They hoped to see the crime scene and a violent woman inside, but their expectations were failed and all that was left for them was stupidly gazing at the hunchback with their mouths open.
The spirit of café (Metaphor)
The café is not just a place to eat and drink: it has its own spirit, which should never be confused with that of any other place: “For the atmosphere of a proper café implies these qualities: fellowship, the satisfactions of the belly, and a certain gaiety and grace of behavior”. Amelia’s café had such a spirit, it was the place where all people could come after hard day and have a desirable rest. It was the site of relaxation and meditation for locals.
Love – phenomenon (Metaphor)
Although Miss Amelia was married, she didn’t love her husband; moreover, she has never loved at all. When people noticed how greatly she has changed since Cousin Lymon come, they understood that she has fallen in love with him. However, her feeling are the mystery for the reader, the narrator just states that love was a phenomenon for Amelia, something unknown and in the same time pleasant.
A secret meanness almost like a smell (Simile)
Marvin Macy, who became a cruel and violent person again after several years he spent in penitentiary, put fear in people’s hearts. Although he was still handsome, the evil in him was now too famous for his good looks to get him anywhere. The secret meanness clung to him almost like a smell, despite the fact that he has never sweated, not even in August.
