Metaphor: Stings and the pain of enduring war
After days of marching, Salva and the rest of the group find a honeycomb in the wilderness. Hungry and desperate, the group throws itself at the comb, eager to eat all the honey they can get their hands on. Every member of the small group is attacked by bees and stung; despite this, they still enjoy the taste of honey. The stings the people endure are painful, but the group decides that they are worth it if they can enjoy the honey. In a similar manner, the people who lived in the country are all affected in some way or another by the war. Thus at some point, metaphorically and literally, they all have to make sacrifices to survive and to ensure the survival of the group. Even though those decisions are painful, they are worth it for the people since it means that they can live another day.
Simile: Plane
At the beginning of the novel, Salva and his schoolmates endure the terrifying attack on their village and have to rush out into the bush. Out there Salva notes, "Overhead, a jet plane veered away like a sleek evil bird" (6). It is a stunningly simple and effective simile. The reader can envision the plane swooping above the frightened people, reminding them that danger can from below and above. The plane is like an animal in its power and predatory nature.
Simile: Salva's mouth
When Salva hears someone call his name and he turns around to see his uncle, Park writes, "Salva's mouth closed and opened again, as if he were a fish" (34). It is a comical image; the reader can sense through this effective simile that Salva is utterly agape and flabbergasted at the coincidence of encountering his uncle out here.
Simile: Akeer's laugh
After Akeer gets better with help from the clinic, Nya thinks, "It was like music, the sound of Akeer's laugh" (45). In this joyful simile, Nya expresses how happy she is that her sister is no longer dying. Music is (usually) a joyful and lighthearted thing, and Akeer being able to laugh and sound like music indicates that she is healthy.
Simile: Despair
Salva comes to the realization that his family is truly gone and he is all alone in the world. Park uses this simile: "He felt as though he were standing on the edge of a giant hole - a hole filled with the black despair of nothingness" (72). It is a potent image because it shows Salva's helplessness, his likelihood of falling into oblivion due to his sadness. There is no light in the hole, just as there is no light in Salva's life anymore.
