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I'm writing an essay on metaphors. I have the following section:

A final connection between Atticus Finch and a suit of armour is their ability to carry others’ skins. A suit of armour holds people inside it; in contrast, Atticus walks inside others’ skins, which is a metaphor for being empathic.

Atticus and armour are both similar and dissimilar at certain degrees (regarding the "ability to carry skins").

How can I express the slight difference subtly, while emphasizing they are also similar?

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What do the last two it's refer to? ("... it is true" and "say it") Perhaps say what your question is, in an additional way or two. – jwpat7 Nov 16 '11 at 6:05

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1 Answer

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The word you are looking for is 'similar' or one of it's synonyms.

sim·i·lar (sm-lr) adj. Related in appearance or nature; alike though not identical.

Synonyms:

approximate, comparable, corresponding

There were more synonyms attributed to the word similar, but I picked those that worked the best in your context.

Atticus Finch and a suit of armor have certain subtle similarities.

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Maybe similitude? – Andrew Vit Nov 16 '11 at 8:25

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