Introduction+to+Pauline

> calling her names and such, but because they treat her differently from a young age Pauline has viewed herself as an outsider
 * Pauline corresponds her “general feeling of separateness and unworthiness” on her foot- peers treat her well in the sense that they do not pick on her deformity ( they go out of their way to make things easier of her, no nicknames no jokes and they would always put her rows back into place) – this fed her low self esteem and feeling of separateness because her family lived tip toeing around her – reconfirmed her idea that she is helpless
 * She is consumed by this one deformity and relates many things in her life back to it (the way she sees herself) – low self esteem and finds herself an annoying inconvenience
 * Moved to Kentucky, a nice neighborhood surrounded by mills and mine work – feel inadequate she is surrounded by an environment where everyone performing manual labor, physical work – further separates her from her peers and the idea that she is incompetent (seen by others and by herself)
 * However the sense of vacancy in her house provided luxury to her family, moving to this new location increased her feeling of self worth as she started working around the house, mending the fence, cooked, and took care of the younger people “the stillness and isolation both calmed and energized her. She could arrange and clean without interruption until two o’clock” (112)
 * The ‘Presence’ – lonely (more mature in a sexually adult way, and becomes overwhelmed with melancholy and loneliness, especially in her craving for love and lust for men
 * Her idea of self worth is related to physical appearances. However she mends her low self value (because of her foot) with the praise she gets from her perfect housework, thus she always needs to work or to be doing something productive to balance out her self worth.