Turned Over in His Mind (Metaphor)
After the opening scene in which Nnaemeka and Nene discuss how Nnaemeka will break the news of the couple's engagement to Nnaemeka's father, Nnaemeka walks home with his mind full of thoughts about the issue. Achebe writes that that "he turned over in his mind the different ways of overcoming his father’s opposition, especially now that he had gone and found a girl for him." In this figure of speech, Achebe uses the metaphor of turning something over in one's mind to emphasize how Nnaemeka thinks continuously about what to tell his father, as though the problem is an object he is physically turning over to examine from every angle.
Amazon of a Girl (Metaphor)
When Nnaemeka reads the letter from his father proposing an arranged marriage with a woman from their village, Nnaemeka can't help but smile to himself. Achebe writes that "he remembered Ugoye quite well, an Amazon of a girl who used to beat up all the boys, himself included, on the way to the stream, a complete dunce at school." In this passage, Achebe uses the metaphor "Amazon of a girl" to imply that Ugoye was strong and prone to fighting, reminiscent of the Amazon women warriors of Greek mythology who could match men's abilities in combat.
Expected The Storm to Burst (Metaphor)
After Nnaemeka tells Okeke that Nene is the only woman he can marry, Nnaemeka believes the statement will be met with a swift condemnation from his father. Achebe writes, "This was a very rash reply and Nnaemeka expected the storm to burst. But it did not." In this passage, Achebe uses the metaphor "expected the storm to burst" to illustrate the overpowering torrents of angry speech that Okeke is known to unleash.
