The simile of appearance
The primary objective of a Cherokee woman is to value beauty regardless of age. Lula is aging, and her beauty is fading quickly. When Lula looks at her daughter, Justine, she longs to be young again. The simile is critical in enlightening readers to understand the culture and traditions of a Cherokee when it comes to beauty. When a Cherokee woman puts on her nylon stockings, she feels young and refreshed. For instance, when Lula dresses decently, the narrator says, "She unrolled her nylon stockings and wiggled her toes in the air. In the way of Cherokee women, Lula could still make you feel that she held down the earth around her one moment and then seem almost like a girl the next.”
The simile of a carefree attitude
Justine's attitude is compared to someone who doesn't have a purpose in life. Despite knowing she is a top student in class, she behaves like someone who is not interested in excelling. The simile creates a humorous image of Justine because she is doing exactly the opposite of her mother's expectations. Justine's mother, Lula, has taken her to the best religious school but is about to graduate with poor grades. Justine feels as if she is pushed to study for her mother.
Feeling like the human rattle
The feeling of betraying a parent is compared to disconnected bones in a human body. Justine disobeys her mother, and this makes her feel like a human rattle and empty. The author uses this simile to emphasize the significance of honoring mothers. Mothers are human and make errors, but that does not guarantee Justine will betray her mother. Consequently, Justine is suffering from guilt and does not have an option but to go back to her mother and ask for forgiveness.
