It's Not the End of the World

“I don’t think I’ll ever get married. Why should I? All it does is make you miserable.”

This line from the opening page expresses Karen’s perspective on marriage based on the data she has from both her parents and her teacher. It reveals how experiencing a difficult marriage has already shaped her worldview and profoundly affected her future path.

“Then she picked up that beautiful cake, held it high over her head, and dropped it. It smashed at my father’s feet.”

This moment portrays the kind of conflict that plagues Karen’s home life. Bill has just criticized Ellie’s cake and invalidated her feelings. Ellie responds petulantly by smashing the cake, choosing a more physical manifestation of her anger and hatred. What should have been a scene of domestic comfort, represented by the “beautiful cake,” devolves into violence.

“I am also supposed to be mature, well-adjusted and eager to learn. I saw this written on my permanent record card one day in the fall. Sometimes I don’t feel mature, well-adjusted and eager to learn.”

Karen reflects on her report card and the way her teacher previously saw her. This line shows her introspective nature and the way she feels that she is changing based on the conflict at home. Her evolving feelings about her sense of self highlight the beginning of her coming-of-age narrative.