Figurative language strengthens the concept you already know.
An author uses figurative language to help the reader understand the text in a way that uses ideas the reader already knows and then helps the reader understand new ideas.
Similes compare the known to the unknown using like or as.
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How Imagery is Used in My Favorite Chaperone
The imagery in My Favorite Chaperone is used to reveal more about the personalities of the characters.
For example, the author uses imagery to show how Nurzhan is timid and little and how Papa is a big man who rules over the house.
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Papa
Papa’s role in the family and his personality was mainly conveyed through imagery such as “like a large, strong horse that plows fields” (Line 285).
It also mentioned how Papa was very strict when he shooed Maya and Nurzhan away like bugs (Line 369).
The story’s theme mainly revolved around change and the imagery showed that Papa wasn’t a man who was okay with change.
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Nurzhan
The author chooses to go with imagery that makes Nurzhan look like a small and timid boy. Yet he was still Maya’s chaperone at the dance.
Some examples are:
(Line 265) “He looked like a rabbit caught in a trap”
(Line 391) “like a little chick peeping”
(Line 824) “like a tiny mouse in the corner”
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Maya
The imagery related to Maya was related to her feelings and the situations she was in. For example, the text said “I’m in the middle of a game where I don’t know the rules or even the object of the game” (Line 96). This shows how sometimes she feels as though she doesn’t belong or just doesn’t fit in but wants to change.
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Mama
The imagery in the story showed that Mama was a lot like Papa like where she stared at Maya like she was a stranger (Line 680). But Mama wasn’t shown to be a big bull which led the reader to believe that maybe Mama would someday change, which did happen when she gave Maya the bracelet before the Spring Fling.