Coming Of Age In Mississippi

In eighth grade, Moody wears jeans to school because her family cannot afford to buy new school clothes. Other girls begin wearing jeans, too, and Moody inadvertently sets a fashion trend. Moody is aware of her body’s curves in her old, tight clothes but is surprised when her male classmates vote for her as one of three homecoming queen candidates. To narrow the candidates down to one, the candidates compete to raise the most money for the school. Moody raises the most money and is the winner. She worries about what to wear to the homecoming ceremony because she has no money to buy a special gown.

The day before the homecoming, Moody’s father arrives at a cousin’s house with a “beautiful blue lacebodiced gown” (106) that he bought especially for Moody. The next day, she dresses and other girls apply make up to her face. A teacher pins a crown to Moody’s hair, and Moody stares at herself in the mirror for five minutes, hardly believing her eyes: “When I turned I had to touch my face to see if it was me” (107). During the parade, Moody sees Mama and Linda Jean in the crowd, and her beauty surprises them both.