What is the importance of the women's "shrugging" in the novel, Topics of Conversation?

Shrugging symbolizes not merely a way of un-committing, but a pivoting in narrative, a way of turning the lens of meaning toward another point of view. In Popkey's "Fresno 2014" chapter, each woman shrugs throughout the story that she tells. Each shrug is not, however, simply an abdication of responsibility. It is a signal that the narrative is about to move, to go deeper or higher, to reveal another shade of the story thus far. This symbol touches on Popkey's theme of making meaning: meaning, in the course of storytelling, is always complicated, multi-faceted, and ultimately in the hands of whoever tells the story. A shrug, therefore, is never simply a shrug; it is a moment in a narrative that precedes a choice in telling.