Question

In the beginning of the story, Maya says her family is on a tiny Kazakh island in the middle of a great American sea. How does she use this metaphor and compare it to winter and her family?

Answer 1

Maya's metaphor of her family on a Kazakh island in an American sea suggests cultural isolation and the struggle to maintain identity in a different environment, paralleling the winter season's harshness.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the metaphor used by Maya, her family on a tiny Kazakh island represents a sense of being isolated or culturally distinct within the larger context of American society, depicted as a great American sea. This metaphor can suggest struggle, adaptation, or survival in an environment that is vast and different from one's origin. Maya possibly equates winter—a time of coldness and sometimes harshness—with the challenges her family faces while maintaining their own cultural identity amidst the overwhelming influence of their American surroundings. The metaphor is a literary device that allows Maya to express complex dynamics regarding her family's situation, culture, and identity within America.