Significance of Kiki's Belly

Kiki's belly is a symbol of how her body is changing and the implications that has. It is evidenced in the novel that, over the past ten or so years, Kiki's body has transformed from slender to incredibly buxom. Because of Howard's affair with Claire, a very slender woman, Kiki is all the more self-conscious of the way her body takes up space and is perceived by others.