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1. Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home: her walk, which could be childlike and bobbing, or languid enough to make anyone think she was hearing music in her head; her mouth, which was pale and smirking most of the time, but bright and pink on these evenings out; her laugh, which was cynical and drawling at home . . . but high-pitched and nervous anywhere else . . .

This quotation appears near the beginning of the story and explains the two-sidedness of Connie. At home, Connie appears childish, but away from home, she strives to appear sexy, mature, and seductive. For the most part, her two sides seem to exist in harmony. She argues with her mother and sister at home, but otherwise her transition from child to woman and back again seems to happen effortlessly. However, the fact that Connie has two sides rather than one stable, fully developed personality highlights the awkward, fearful stage she is in as an adolescent. Throughout the story, we see that she is unsure of who she really is—what is actually her and what is a fabricated image of who she wants to be. Her confident smirk and laugh at home give way to a more uncertain, giggly laugh and girly, pink mouth—which actually make her seem more immature. The gap between her former self and new, adult self is uncertain and dangerous. When Arnold Friend appears, he exploits it.

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