The Vice-President’s Italian leather shoes
The appearance of the vice president’s shoes is brought out through the use of a simile where the shoes are compared to braided slippers. In this way, the writer facilitates a prominent conception of the appearance of those shoes. The writer notes: “He’s wearing those Italian leather shoes that look like braided slippers.”
The imagery of the swarm of bugs
The imagery of the swarm of bugs on the road as seen in the light of the narrator is enhanced through the use of a simile: “The roads are dark […] and in our beams, the bugs swarm like a biblical plague.” The comparison of the bugs to those of the biblical plague aids imagery while at the same time enabling a deeper understanding of the magnitude and quantity of the bugs.
The dope girls
The narrator and his friends notice how most girls were headed towards the high school such that there is nothing they could do about it as younger ‘cats.’ The narrator enhances this imagery through a direct comparison to moths drawn to a light: “…all the real dope girls were headed up to the high school, like moths to a light…”
Samantha
The narrator utilizes exemplary language to bring out the physical attributes of the narrator. In the descriptions, the narrator uses a simile to add weight to the reader’s perception of Samantha. The writer notes: “She’s dark and heavy-browed and has a mouth like unswept glass—when you least expect it she cuts you.”
Virta’s letters
The narrator uses a simile to emphasize how Virta’s handwriting has changed over time. The emphasis is brought out through the comparison of Virta’s handwriting, particularly the letters drooping into the next line to a rudder: “…the handwriting has changed as well—each letter loops down, drooping into the next line like a rudder.”
