Life is full of dangers for a woman living by herself.
-- Narrator (Smartening Up)

Importance: In "Smartening Up," when the narrator hears her doorbell ring, she suddenly feels afraid, convinced the person behind the door is a murder or rapist. Though the narrator's fear is quickly quelled when she recognizes her aunt, her terrified conviction that life for women like her is unsafe, speaks to the author's overarching thematic interest in women's issues. Living alone, the narrator in this story feels a sense of simultaneous powerlessness and entrapment. Not only do her life and identity feel predetermined by cultural standards, they are defined by trepidation and caution.

I opened more boxes.
-- Narrator (Smartening Up)

Importance: After the narrator's aunt visits in "Smartening Up," the narrator experiences a surprising revelation. Her aunt's words make her consider her longtime obsession with hairlessness. By questioning the way she has been living, the narrator is able to open up the proverbial boxes...