Erik Larson uses this simile and strong words that place a vivid image to further emphasize how the city continues to get dirtier as time goes by and more people move to Chicago. Larson wrote how as the city grew in population and in size the more dangerous and filthy the city became. The simile “like pus from a wound” paints a vivid image in the reader 's mind on how dirty the streets of Chicago are by using a simile that the readers would understand. Furthermore, Larson also uses strong words such as “oozed,” “muck,” and “swelled” to further paint an imagery of the contaminated streets and to show the continued growth of the filth in Chicago. This simile further helps Larson create a better image of how the city of Chicago has become contaminated.