How does the author use metaphor in the memoir, You Could Make This Place Beautiful?

Throughout You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Smith utilizes metaphors to examine her emotional experiences. During a therapy session, after a quiet week, the author tells her therapist, “It’s like Jaws. When the shark is gnawing at the boat, of course, it’s terrifying—the only thing you can focus on is those teeth and staying the hell away from them. But when the dorsal fin disappears underwater, it’s not over. It’s not safe, and you don’t get to relax. The shark isn’t gone, it’s just trying to find another way into the boat” (273). She chooses to include these moments in order to develop her own understanding of the divorce. By looking at her own life through metaphor, Smith is able to articulate her fears, anxiety, and hopes. While she resists imposing plot points onto her own life, the metaphors allow her to contextualize her experiences.