The permanent magic marker
The confusion in pronouncing the teacher’s nickname is compared to a permanent magic marker. The narrator says, “As to how you say her name, some of us were saying Sharpe, like the permanent magic marker, and others were just saying Sharp." The simile shows the teacher's ability and prowess in her work. Students know their teacher is brilliant and magical because they always memorize what she teaches.
Carrying a branch like a horse hauling trees
Gather's expertise in holding a branch is likened to a draft horse. The narrator says, "The dog follows me and my throbbing thumb, and he's carrying that branch like he thinks he's a draft horse hauling trees out of a timber farm." Gather is a hunting dog, and knows how to survive in the woods. When Mathew adopts Gather, he is amazed at how he manages to do complex things.
