So What Are You, Anyway?

“She checks for pimples, but finds none.”

When Carole sees herself in her mirror, she takes pride in her reflection. She sees no blemishes, and thus nothing to be ashamed of. The simplicity of her self-perspective emphasizes her youthful innocence. The image foreshadows the way her self-regard will change by the end of the story.

“A big man with a sunburnt face is holding her doll upside down.”

As soon as Henry’s character enters the narrative stage, he treats Carole in a hostile manner. Carole’s doll is an extension of Carole. By holding the doll upside down, he is mistreating Carole by proxy. The image foreshadows his cruel behavior towards Carole throughout the flight. It also suggests Carole is trying to visually understand the reasoning behind the man’s actions, noting the color of his face and his behavior.

“His feet sprawl onto her side. And he keeps looking at her.”

The positioning and orientation of Henry’s body in relation to Carole’s conveys his disrespect for Carole. He is intruding upon her space and thus compromising her safety and comfort. The disjointed continuation of thought in the second sentence further underscores his derision for Carole and relentless abuse of her.