Previous
Setting
Definition of Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like" or "as," but can also... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often... read full definition
Key Examples in A Visit from the Goon Squad
Chapter 13: Pure Language
Explanation and Analysis—Sasha's Name:
Despite the seemingly random chronology of A Visit from the Goon Squad, the final chapter indeed features a return to Chapter 1, structuring the novel with a circular narrative. A simile captures the pivotal moment that Alex suddenly remembers the name of the woman he met briefly years ago: Sasha.
While walking on the street with Rebecca and their daughter, Cara-Ann, Alex finds himself thinking of the circumstances that brought him and his wife together. He passively recalls the memory of that night and makes an unexpected realization:
[...] Alex has coaxed [Rebecca] out for beers and burritos, then had sex with her on the roof of her building on Avenue D, to escape her three roommates [...] And in that moment, without warning, Alex abruptly recalled the name of the girl who had worked for Bennie Salazar: Sasha. It came to him effortlessly, like a door falling open. Sasha.
Related Themes:
