comment on the theme Abandonment

Throughout Eliana’s narration, it is clear that the adults and parents that are meant to keep children safe abandon them emotionally, contributing to a crisis of identity and a bleak outlook on the future. All of Eliana’s anxiety about her life and what she will do with it stems from the deep insecurity she experiences as a fat girl and her mother’s vocal disappointment. Eliana has internalized that her self-worth is derived from the way she looks, and so her mother’s rejection hurts her but she also accepts the mistreatment because she believes that she deserves it. She always notices that her mother does not give her compliments or pay much attention to her other than to criticize her body and give suggestions for how she could improve her looks. She always says “You’d be so pretty —and all the big girls in the world can finish this sentence in unison— if you lost weight” (70). Unfortunately, Eliana is living through a pivotal moment wherein the self-esteem she develops or fails to, will follow her for the rest of her life.