"The boys were cruel and called him filthy Fredo, thus facing a creature (...)."
This phrase is an example of a metaphor. Metaphors don't use words like "like" or "as" to make comparisons. The writer or speaker relates two different things and the audience understands this is a comparison.
The metaphor is used to characterize one subject by comparing it to the other. The purpose of the metaphor is to help the audience have a better understanding of a certain subject. By using a concept or identity we understand clearly, in this case, "creature", we understand better the less known element, "filthy Fredo".
Simile presents a likeness or similarity between two things and connects them using "like" or "as". A metaphor argues that two things are identical and is considered a stronger form analogy than a simile.
A hyperbole compares or describes exaggeratedly things just for the sake of emphasis.
