Question

Read the excerpt from "Broken Chain."

Eventually he [Alfonso] grew bored and went outside with an old gym sock to wipe down his bike, a ten-speed from Montgomery Ward. His thumbs were tired and wrinkled and pink, the way they got when he stayed in the bathtub too long.

Why does Soto most likely include the imagery of Alfonso’s thumbs in this passage?

to show that Alfonso spends his time doing unimportant tasks
to develop the idea that Alfonso cares a lot about appearances
to emphasize that Alfonso does not know when to give up
to illustrate that Alfonso does not like getting himself dirty

Answer 1

to emphasize that Alfonso does not know when to give up

The simile (thumbs “tired and wrinkled and pink, the way they got when he stayed in the bathtub too long”) shows he kept working on the bike so long his thumbs showed physical signs of the effort, suggesting persistence or not knowing when to stop.