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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
Similes
Explanation and Analysis—Harrison's Strength:
Multiple times throughout the story, Harrison’s physical strength is described using a simile. For example, once Harrison breaks free from prison and appears with his handicaps on the television screen, the manner in which he forcibly undoes his harness is detailed:
Harrison tore the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper, tore straps guaranteed to support five thousand pounds.
The harness is described as tearing like "wet tissue paper": swiftly and without restraint, which is different from how one imagines these robust materials would withstand force. The story acknowledges that the breaking of this harness is an unusual sight; the speaker adds that the handicap is designed to support five thousand pounds. Therefore, in comparing Harrison’s tearing of the handicap harness to a wet tissue, the story emphasizes the abnormal nature of his physical strength.
This pattern of using unusual images to describe the abnormality of Harrison’s strength continues in a variety of similes: the bar of his head harness’s padlock "snap[s] like celery," and Harrison lifts two musicians "like batons." Along with the first simile, these two seem odd and somewhat unexpected at first glance, as they present unlikely pairings of dissimilar things. But these comparisons are abnormal because Harrison’s strength is abnormal; through sheer force, Harrison can make his harness seem like wet tissue, the bar of his padlock like celery, and people like batons.
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