Throughout The Night Watchman, Erdrich's writing is highly figurative and full of powerful images. One particular kind of figurative writing stands out as a pattern: similes that concern nature. One great example occurs when Pixie and Zhaanat visit Thomas's home to consult with him about Vera's situation:

Noko's head reared back, a swatch of hair flipped up, her eyes bugged so she looked like a maddened egret.

Another describes Vera's reaction to learning, upon her return to Turtle Mountain, that Archille is her child:

"He's yours," he said to Vera, but he didn't look at her, just at Archille.

She collapsed like snow.

These similes demonstrate how Erdrich often turns to nature to deepen her images and characters. To Erdrich, the fact that nature is often the first comparison to come to mind is also a statement about traditional Chippewa values and priorities. Not only are images of nature the most readily at hand, they're also the images that will bring scenes to life best and make nuances most legible. Nature is far more important in Chippewa culture than, for instance, cities, and Erdrich reflects this in the metaphorical register of her writing. It doesn't hurt that such writing is also often stunningly beautiful as a result.