Chapter 8 Summary and Analysis

By high school, Florence still knows next to nothing about sex and cannot understand the furor over bridal virginity. When Ann comes up with the word "hymen", Florence tries to read the brochure in Mama's box of Tampax because she knows the hymen is related to who can use tampons, but Jensy snatches it and tells her to stay pure for Jesus. After locking herself in the bathroom to examine her genitals, Florence finds her clitoris and decides this bump is her maidenhead, declaring that "it was all clear now...Intercourse is when a man presses on the bump until it falls off. When that happens, you aren't a virgin anymore" (pg. 115.) A few months later, her cramps get so bad that Granny takes her to the gynecologist who breaks through to do an exam, and when Granny worries about Florence's...