In the Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle, Kyra uses a simile comparing the lavish portraits of the Matzoobs to ones of ghouls, therefore expressing that she feels the flashy objects displaying their status and wealth are classless and unnecessary. Kyra said, “Big, crude, cheesy things that made the Matzoobs look like ghouls…” (73). She is figuratively saying that the Matzoobs look like ghouls in the huge portraits they have of themselves. Although the literal meaning is that the big portraits of them are being compared to ones of ghouls because they cast them in an unflattering manner. To better understand the simile you have to break down the pieces and know what each detail represents. The Matzoobs are really wealthy clients of Kyra, and they
