Baba walked out of the welfare office like a man cured of a tumor.

Hosseini incorporates a sense of irony which is a technique used to convey a message that is opposite to its literal meaning. Instead of Baba actually "being cured" he is is actually diagnosed with cancer. The author also uses foreshadowing to hint a possible idea about Baba's health. Not long after, Baba dies from cancer yet he still sticks by his principles and does not conform to welfare. This is also a similie as the author uses "like" to compare Baba's pride with not accepting the food stamps to a man who has been cured with a tumor. It shows how strongly Baba really feels about his ideas.