Answer:
Simile.
Explanation:
“As if” signals that this is a simile, not a metaphor.
Answer:
the audience might get a better sense of how much the narrator seems to miss being raised by his mother
Explanation:
Answer: In sharing his vision of what it means to be human, Steinbeck touches on several themes: the nature of dreams, the nature of loneliness, man's propensity for cruelty, powerlessness and economic injustices, and the uncertainty of the future.