Simile: Hagar's voice
Hagar's abrupt speech is described as erupting "like a burst boil," illustrating how what she is trying to say has been contained within her for so long.
Metaphor: The belongings of Hagar's mother
Hagar uses the extended metaphor of a dusty pile of her mother's belongings tucked away in her closet: her "white buttoned shoes and a chipped chamber pot nested in by small and frantic spiders." This description is meant to stand in for the way Hagar knows something is wrong with her health but would rather push it away to the dark corners of her mind.
Metaphor: Marvin's predicament
Marvin and Doris are trying to reason with Hagar about going to the nursing home, and she adamantly refuses. She wins Marvin over, who agrees that if Hagar does not want to go, she does not have to. This angers Doris, who feels she can no longer take care of Hagar. Marvin says he feels he is "caught between two fires," to signify how either side he takes will burn him.
Metaphor: The Fragile ice
The thin and fragile ice in Manawaka is described as "rubber ice," which expresses how it often bends before it gives way. This is the type of ice that Hagar's brother Dan fell through.
Similie: Hagar's glance
Hagar, annoyed by the words of another character, responds with "a glance glassy and hard as cat's eye marbles." This is an extension of the stone imagery with which Hagar defines herself, showing the way Hagar tries to control and intimidate others with her coldness.
