Then my gaze slid over the people to the blaze of green beyond the diaphanous curtains, and I felt as if I were sitting in the window of an enormous department store. The figures around me weren't people, but shop dummies, painted to resemble people and propped up in attitudes counterfeiting life.
The narrator experiences a sense of detachment as she observes the world around her. Gazing at a vibrant green landscape through delicate curtains, she feels as though she is not a participant in life but rather an observer. This perspective casts the people surrounding her as lifeless mannequins rather than real individuals, highlighting her feelings of isolation and alienation.
This metaphor of shop dummies illustrates the emptiness she perceives in her environment and the struggle to connect with those around her. The stark contrast between the lively green outside and the artificiality of the people signifies her internal conflict and disconnection from reality, as she grapples with her identity and mental state.
