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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.
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:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“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!’"
Related Themes:
