Trees

Throughout the book, Dr. Pipher describes adolescent girls as fragile young trees swaying in the onslaught of an ominous storm or hurricane. Indeed, the first chapter is entitled, "Saplings in the Storm". The storm threatening the girls represents the weight of popular culture as it tries to force them to become less than their true selves. The girls' families are the root systems that will either hold the girls steady or contribute to their decay. Parents represent the girls' shelter from the storm. Dr. Pipher points out that girls whose parents divorce often witness their root systems literally being split apart. She also observes that strong girls manage to hold onto some sense of themselves, even in the face of the storm's high winds. These girls have a strong sense of place that gives them roots. They know themselves, and they know that the negative influences surrounding them...