How does the author use figurative language in the short story, The Way Up to Heaven?

Dahl uses figurative language to provide the reader with subtle clues about Mr. Foster’s malevolent nature. This is most evident when the narrator describes Mr. Foster’s appearance through the lens of Mrs. Foster’s perception. When Mrs. Foster sees Mr. Foster approaching the car, she notices that his “legs were like goat’s legs” (44) because of his trousers. A classic depiction of a demon involves a humanoid figure with goat legs. Thus, this description of Mr. Foster’s appearance suggests that he resembles a demon according to Mrs. Foster. This impresses a malevolent nature in Mr. Foster, at least as far as Mrs. Foster is concerned.