Beloved 3

"Down in the grass, like the snake she believed she was, Sethe opened her mouth, and instead of fangs and a split tongue, out shot the truth."

In this quote the author uses both imagery and a form of metaphor/simile description. By using the metaphor/simile that Sethe is like a snake in the grass opening her mouth, you are easily able to picture this scene in your mind. Although we don't know exactly at this moment why being pregnant with this particular baby makes Sethe feel "snake-like," it kind of forshadows that we're going to find out more about how she got into that situation and why she sees it in a negative way.