Figurative Language

“Two is company and three is a crowd.” Pg. 64

   “The crazy calls the sane the crazy.”  Pg. 69

        “Pretty is as pretty does.”            Pg. 75

     “I can see right through them two gray eyes of yours like they was glass.”       Pg. 88

   “You just laying yourself this fancy trap to catch yourself in trouble.”                Pg. 88

Why is McCullers use of figurative language important?

The story takes place in 1944 in the south.  A majority of the figurative language comes from the character Berenice.  Berenice was a black maid, who spoke figuratively a majority of the time.  Old sayings were passed down from generation to generation and these quotes give much meaning to the passages of which they were drawn.  She uses these almost as if they were fact when disputing with Frankie, because she is uneducated, being that she is black at the time and Frankie is very young and doesn't know any better.