Post #5 Form A

Vocab
Gila Monster (35): A venomous lizard (Heloderma suspectum) of arid regions of the southwest United States and western Mexico, having black and orange or yellow scales.
Creosote (35): an oily liquid having a burning taste and a penetrating odor, obtained by the distillation of coal and wood tar, used mainly as a preservative for wood and as an antiseptic.
Figurative Language
"I wondered if the fire had been out to get me" (34)
This is personification because the author is giving the fire the human trait of being 'out to get
her'.
"He tossed the half-eaten head at me like a grenade." (46)
This is a simile because it is comparing the half-eaten head of lettuce to a grenade using the work like.
"The wind shrieked through the compartment." (49)
This is personification because the author is the wind shrieked which it can't really because shrieking is a human trait.
Quote
"She told us that both our grandmothers were angry because neither Lori nor I had been named after them, so she decided to call the baby Lilly Ruth Maureen. [...] That, Dad told us, would make everyone happy except his mom, who hated the name Ruth and wanted the baby called Erma, and Mom's mom, who would hate sharing her namesake with Dad's mom." (47)
This is is a great example of the humor which rears its head constantly throughout the book. It's a nice touch considering how serious the author's situations are.
Theme
When life throws you a curve ball make the most of it.