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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
Key Examples in The Emperor Jones
Scene 4
Explanation and Analysis—"Like a Strait-Jacket":
One of the most potent symbols in the play is Jones’s clothing, particularly the way his uniform changes as the story progresses. Scene 4 begins with Jones literally stripping himself out of his coat, one of the vestments of his imperial and godly power. As he does so, he uses a simile to compare his coat to a straight-jacket:
I’m meltin’ wid heat! Runnin’ an’ runnin’ an’ runnin’! Damn dis heah coat! Like a strait-jacket! [He tears off his coat and flings it away from him, revealing himself stripped to the waist.] Dere! Dat’s better! Now I kin breathe!
Related Themes:
