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Similes
Chapter 1: Jesus’s Cheese
Explanation and Analysis—Scattered in Honor:
In Chapter 1, Sportcoat reflects on Hettie's funeral, which, in a moment of situational irony, is worse than the typical funerals held at Five Ends, even though Hettie is referred to as the "guest of honor":
But today Hettie was the guest of honor, which meant the flowers were scattered helter-skelter, just where the deliverymen dropped them, so it took Sister Gee, stepping in as usual, to figure that out.
It is ironic, as one would expect her to be honored for her contributions to the church with a funeral she would have loved and appreciated. Instead, as she is not the one there to clean up the mess—because she is today's "guest of honor," the person whose funeral Five Ends is hosting—the flowers are a complete disaster without her.
This irony points to a larger conversation in the book about the role of women in the church, as well as Hettie's role in Sportcoat's life. Most often, it's the women of Five Ends who clean the messes of men and taking the blame for their faults. The most prominent example of this in Deacon King Kong is Hettie, who spent her life taking care of Sportcoat, who is distraught and aimless without her. She wanted him to reciprocate the affection, and before he moved to New York, she promised other churchgoers that he would tend the garden and plant her moonflowers, but he instead spent his time drinking. This incident, as the situational irony of her funeral, shows the quiet leadership of women in the church, while men take credit for running it.
Related Themes:
Chapter 21: New Dirt
Explanation and Analysis—The Truck Driver:
In Chapter 21, Potts explains his relationship to the Elephant's father through an anecdote about trying to bust his organized crime ring open, ending the story with an example of situational irony. Potts tried to enter his business, but left his car running, and someone stole it. He chased after the person, who eventually pulled a gun on Potts in the middle of the road. In a moment of deus ex machina, a truck appears out of nowhere and kills the man, saving Potts's life. He continues the story as such:
“Well, about six months later, they sent me over here again, saying they’d got this guy Guido for transporting some tractors, or some such thing. So I drove over here in a rush again, this time alone. But instead of transporting crap, I see a big front-end loader over there where your storage place is now. It’s a big tractor that scoops up the dirt and there’s a guy in there working the thing. He’s got only one good hand and one good leg. I get in close and look in the cab. It was the guy who was driving that truck.
"I said, ‘You’re the truck driver!’"
The fact that Elefante's father was the truck driver who killed the man and whom Potts was searching for is an example of situational irony. It's safe to assume that Elefante would not expect the person he was chasing to aid them in the hunt, but Guido Elefante does exactly that. Potts was searching for him in the first place, and he eventually found him while chasing after a second man. This irony proves the interconnectedness of the organized crime units in Brooklyn. As is evidenced throughout the book, everybody knows everybody—even Potts, a cop—and while Guido may be used to strange coincidences such as these, Potts, who, at the time, was a young cop, is entirely unfamiliar with them.
Related Themes:
