Figurative Language In Buried Onions

Do you think figurative language helps give a better understanding of the story Buried Onions? Figurative language is used throughout the entire story, and it helps when trying to understand really what the main character Eddie is going through. Similes, metaphors, and exaggeration are some good examples. Figurative language is used in this book to give a better description of what is going on.
The first figurative language technique used is metaphor. On page 35 Eddie is going on and talking about what a good life is. “A good life is a long, busy evening of watching TV, where every third joke is actually funny.” Eddie wants simple things. He is comparing a good life to a few simple and easy things to have. This is significant, because his

life isn’t going very well right now. He doesn’t wanna win a huge prize or anything, he just wants to make enough money to have a few simple moments in life.
The second figurative language technique is simile. On page 5 Eddie says, “I dried my face on a towel that was bright orange, just like the vest I would wear if I held down that city job.” Eddie is explaining that the towel could be like a worker’s uniform if he had a job. This is significant, because he is in desperate need of a job, and he wants a job to make money.
The third figurative language technique used is exaggeration. On page 29 Eddie states, “I unlocked my apartment and staggered into an oven of heat that nearly blew me backward.” Eddie doesn’t have enough money to pay for air conditioning, and he is exaggerating that his house is so hot that when he walked into his house, heat as hot as an oven blew him backward. This quote is significant, because he needs a job to pay for air conditioning. He doesn’t have a job, so he doesn’t have air in his house in the hot summer.
Figurative language is used in Buried Onions to give a better description of what is going on. Figurative language being used in the story changes the reader’s understanding, because it gives a better understanding of how Eddie feels about everything, and it helps by showing how hard Eddie’s life is going right now.