In literature as in real life, an epiphany is a sudden realization or newfound awareness. Typically, this realization dramatically transforms how a character views themselves, others, an event, or the world at large. For the children in “All Summer in a Day,” the experience of seeing the sun for the first time triggers just such an epiphany, changing the children’s perspective not only on Margot but also on their own lives. Having witnessed sunshine firsthand, the students now recognize how cruelly they’ve treated Margot, both in depriving her of the experience and by bullying her in general. This empathy comes at a cost, however, since the episode also awakens the children to the full deprivation of life on Venus.

Metaphor is a literary device in which an author likens one thing, person, or idea to another, apparently dissimilar thing, person or idea. One common subset of metaphor is simile, which uses “like” or “as” in making comparisons.

Bradbury employs both simile and metaphor more broadly throughout “All Summer in a Day,” most commonly in connection to the sun; over the course of the story,

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