Question

Which literary device is used in this sentence from James Joyce’s “Araby”?

But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires.
1. motif
2. metaphor
3. hyperbole
4. simile

Answer 1

Hello! Sounds to me like it's a simile being used, as there are words such as "like" and "as".

Answer 2

4. simile

Step-by-step explanation:

A simile is a figure of speech used to compare two objects which are not similar but are compared through the use of the preposition like. "But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires. ", these words reflect the narrator's feelings towards Mangan's sister. The narrator is a young boy who is madly in love with his friend's sister, yet he never tells the girl about his love. The fact he feels his body like a musical instrument which starts playing with the girl's words and gestures means his gets excited when he sees her and hears her speak.