When describing Jimmy’s transformation into Ralph Spencer, the narrator uses a metaphor, as seen in the following passage:
Mr. Ralph Spencer, the phoenix that arose from Jimmy Valentine’s ashes—ashes left by the flame of a sudden and alterative attack of love—remained in Elmore, and prospered. He opened a shoe-store and secured a good run of trade.
Socially he was also a success, and made many friends. And he accomplished the wish of his heart. He met Miss Annabel Adams, and became more and more captivated by her charms.
In this passage, the narrator describes how Ralph is “the phoenix that arose from Jimmy Valentine’s ashes,” referencing the mythological phoenix, an immortal creature who, upon “dying” in a burst of flame, is immediately reborn from the ashes. As the narrator notes, the burst of flame that killed Jimmy in this case was “a sudden and alterative attack of love,” meaning that Jimmy’s love for Annabel is the reason he left behind his criminal persona of Jimmy Valentine, exchanging it for the law-abiding shoe-maker Ralph Spencer.
In the rest of the passage, the narrator details exactly what Jimmy’s transformation has looked like. As Ralph, Jimmy “prosper[s]” financially, is “a success” socially, and “accomplishe[s] the wish of his heart” to be with Annabel. Here, the narrator demonstrates to readers that the power of love—and not his time in prison—swayed Jimmy away from a life of crime.
