Like a Snake (Simile)
In Akoko's lamentation after being accused of bewitching her husband so that he does not marry another wife, she poses the question, “Should I spit in the eyes of Were like a snake?” to remind everyone that only Were (God) is responsible for giving people children. She compares blaming her for not having more children to the actions of a snake to emphasize how ungrateful and treacherous that behavior would be, especially when she's already given him two children.
The Greatest Jewel That Adorns His Compound (Metaphor)
As Akoko defends herself against accusations of witchcraft, she asserts her importance as mikai or first wife with the metaphor, “A man’s mikai is the greatest jewel that adorns his compound.” In the polygamous society, though men typically have many wives, the first wife holds special respect and prestige, which Akoko points out by comparing the first wife to a jewel that adorns a husband’s compound. Akoko uses her wits and knowledge of the traditions of her people to assert her importance as first wife, reminding them she does not deserve to be disrespected by false accusations.
Like Ngege (Fish) to Water (Simile)
Nyabera decides to invite her mother and daughter to live with her in the mission after she becomes baptized. Thinking of how well her mother might adapt to the new faith, she uses a simile to emphasize how natural her mother will feel—as natural as a fish feels in the water, thinking, “she suspected that her mother would take to the new faith like ngege [fish] to water.”
An Uprooted Tree (Simile)
Nyabera visits Akoko and the children, but she starts missing her new home at the mission in Aluor. Akoko senses this and her daughter replies, “I feel like an uprooted tree which cannot reach soil or water.” Nyabera uses a simile to describe how she feels pulled out of an environment that felt like home. Similar to a tree without soil or water, she cannot grow or thrive when she is away from the mission given her newfound faith.
Heaving Molten Lava (Metaphor)
Describing how nervous medical students felt during oral examinations, the narrator describes how students’ insides turned into “heaving molten lava.” The author uses a metaphor to underscore the churning feeling in one's stomach caused by anxiety.
