The subject of the sentence is "girl". If you cut out the extra information, the simplest form of the sentence is "Girl tries".
Answer:
The quote is an analogy because she is comparing herself to a raft, floating in the dark, probably meaning that she feels like she is never getting anywhere and kept in the dark. The following sentence explains that she was alone and warned out, unable to find a home to stay in for a while, much like a wandering raft.
When a sentence have two or more subjects
Basically an upgrade from your old position
