Significance of Tattoos

In the story “Hot-Air Balloons,” tattoos symbolize formative lessons about altruism. When the narrator was younger, she accidentally hit a dog with a car, and he father demanded that they flee the scene. Years later, the character Neah works for an organization that helps women in need. These respective experiences awaken the characters to the value of altruism, and they each acquire a tattoo to remind them of this lesson.