Final answer:
The use of similes and imagery in the passage from Wuthering Heights vividly characterizes the girl and creates a vibrant visual experience that engages the reader's senses and emotions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The effect of the figurative language on the provided passage from Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights is to characterize the girl as young, eager, and brimming with life and light. The simile 'off again like a young greyhound' compares the girl's lively actions to that of a quick and agile dog. Additionally, the description of the girl with 'her golden ringlets flying loose behind, and her bright cheek, as soft and pure in its bloom as a wild rose, and her eyes radiant with cloudless pleasure' employs a mix of simile and vivid imagery to bring the scene to life, creating a vibrant visual experience for the reader.
When using figurative language such as similes, personification, and imagery, writers enable readers to connect more deeply with the text by appealing to their senses and emotions. As opposed to merely telling the reader about the character's attributes or the setting, these literary devices show them in a more engaging and meaningful way.