What is an example of a simile in Chains?

A quick scan
of the novel reveals a great number of similes, which are literary comparisons using the words
like or as. These comparisons are used to clarify and give unique definition to something, so
that it strikes the reader with the peculiar feeling or scene that it evokes.

Early in the book (page 6), the author describes Mr. Roberts frustration by saying the
following: Mr. Roberts mouth tightened like a rope pulled taut. This scene shows how tightly
his lips come together to reveal the extreme irritation he feels and the self-control he must
maintain to keep calm in his frustration. Thein the phrase evokes a specific image of the
tightness of his lips, that is not conveyed as clearly without such a
comparison.