What's the reference of “When I was three, supposedly I stamped my foot and told my own mother not to call me Marietta but Miss Marietta, as I had to call all the people including children in the houses where she [Mama] worked Miss this and Mister that, and so she did”?
From the beginning of the novel, Kingsolver paints her narrator as a strong and assertive woman, demanding that her mother treat her with respect even as an infant. This particular anecdote is the first instance that demonstrates the importance of names, a theme that will be prevalent throughout the novel. The infant Marietta demands to have a different name as a sign of respect: the name Missy is significant in defining her place within her particular world and her relationship with her mother.
http://www.gradesaver.com/the-bean-trees/study-guide/summary-chapters-1-3
