Lexie’s Smile
Lexie is bubbling with life; she smiles at every turn. When she smiles, “her eyes disappear behind a smooth mound of flesh and her chin melts into a soft layer of skin.” Novalee is sure Lexie has the most perfect mouth: “Her lips, full and luscious like ripe, wild plums, are unpainted, but they look moist and satiny.” Lexie doesn’t have a perfect body, but her smile forces everybody to believe in her frankness and kindness.
The Tornado
Appearance of a tornado is the most tragic moment in the novel. When all people are busy with their doings, suddenly “the air, punishing and hot, begins to rush out of the cellar, sucking the flames from the candles.” The strong wind is “hurling the kitten against the steps, lifting and tossing it.” The spiraling wind “picks up the door and slams it shut, leaving the cellar as dark and silent as a tomb.” This horrible natural phenomenon takes away many dreams and hopes. But the people don’t despair. They begin to build their future all over again.
Pregnant Novalee
Pregnancy is perhaps the most difficult period for every woman and at the same time long-awaited. This is a very happy moment, when you finally got rid of the large belly and can hug your tiny baby. Novalee looks awful during the pregnancy: “Her skin, though unblemished and smooth, looks sallow, and her eyes, a light shade of green, are ringed with dark circles.” And her long hair “has pulled loose from the clip at her neck and is frizzed into thin tight ringlets.” Nonetheless, she is glad that she will be a mother soon.
