Metaphor:
"I see it right away: the marble end table collapsed on top of its spindly black legs... 'Fallen down,' she says simply...'It doesn't matter,' I say and I started to pick up the broken glass shards. 'I knew it would happen.' 'Then why don't stop it?' asks my mother. And it's such a simple question.
This quote represents a metaphor that helps describe the relationship between Lena's and Harold. This quote shows that Lena and Harold's marriage is being compared to an unstable table that has no practical use. Lena and Harold's relationship is compared to an unstable table because from their relationship they are very unsure of themselves. This quotes makes the text more powerful because it shows how Lena is basically trapped within her marriage and she cannot do anything even though she knows that her marriage is not good.
"I see it right away: the marble end table collapsed on top of its spindly black legs... 'Fallen down,' she says simply...'It doesn't matter,' I say and I started to pick up the broken glass shards. 'I knew it would happen.' 'Then why don't stop it?' asks my mother. And it's such a simple question.
This quote represents a metaphor that helps describe the relationship between Lena's and Harold. This quote shows that Lena and Harold's marriage is being compared to an unstable table that has no practical use. Lena and Harold's relationship is compared to an unstable table because from their relationship they are very unsure of themselves. This quotes makes the text more powerful because it shows how Lena is basically trapped within her marriage and she cannot do anything even though she knows that her marriage is not good.
Simile
"I . . . looked in the mirror. . . . I was strong. I was pure. I had genuine thoughts inside that no one could see, that no one could ever take away from me. I was like the wind. . . . And then I draped the large embroidered red scarf over my face and covered these thoughts up. But underneath the scarf I still knew who I was. I made a promise to myself: I would always remember my parents’ wishes, but I would never forget myself."
This quote represents when Lindo gained her invisible strength. The invisible strength that she gained helped her get through a lot of tough events in her life. This quote makes the story beautifuler because it always the reader to remember what she is hoping to do. The simile with the wind creates a much more calm tone to the story and so, the effect that she just wants to represent her family well is shown. Also, this simile always for the reader to visualize the hardships that the people had to go through because they did not want to dishonor their family.
"I . . . looked in the mirror. . . . I was strong. I was pure. I had genuine thoughts inside that no one could see, that no one could ever take away from me. I was like the wind. . . . And then I draped the large embroidered red scarf over my face and covered these thoughts up. But underneath the scarf I still knew who I was. I made a promise to myself: I would always remember my parents’ wishes, but I would never forget myself."
This quote represents when Lindo gained her invisible strength. The invisible strength that she gained helped her get through a lot of tough events in her life. This quote makes the story beautifuler because it always the reader to remember what she is hoping to do. The simile with the wind creates a much more calm tone to the story and so, the effect that she just wants to represent her family well is shown. Also, this simile always for the reader to visualize the hardships that the people had to go through because they did not want to dishonor their family.
Simile
"Her wisdom is like a bottomless pond. You throw stones in and they sink into the darkness and dissolve. Her eyes looking back do not reflect anything. I think this to myself even though I love my daughter. She and I have shared the same body. . . . But when she was born, she sprang from me like a slippery fish, and has been swimming away ever since. All her life, I have watched her as though from another shore. And now I must tell her everything about my past. It is the only way to . . . pull her to where she can be saved."
This quote represents Lena trying to give her daughter the best that she can. The simile that is shown is between the daughters knowledge of the real world and how she is very oblivious to the situations. However, this quote plays an important role in the story because it explains how the mother wants to make sure the daughter follows her footsteps. The mother shows how that generations has changed because the daughter no longer sees her point of view, but the mother is sstill trying to get her point across to her now "modern American" daughter.
"Her wisdom is like a bottomless pond. You throw stones in and they sink into the darkness and dissolve. Her eyes looking back do not reflect anything. I think this to myself even though I love my daughter. She and I have shared the same body. . . . But when she was born, she sprang from me like a slippery fish, and has been swimming away ever since. All her life, I have watched her as though from another shore. And now I must tell her everything about my past. It is the only way to . . . pull her to where she can be saved."
This quote represents Lena trying to give her daughter the best that she can. The simile that is shown is between the daughters knowledge of the real world and how she is very oblivious to the situations. However, this quote plays an important role in the story because it explains how the mother wants to make sure the daughter follows her footsteps. The mother shows how that generations has changed because the daughter no longer sees her point of view, but the mother is sstill trying to get her point across to her now "modern American" daughter.