Amidst the constraints and strictness of her environment, young bell finds refuge in the world of fantasy and writing, recognizing early on the transformative power of language to offer both comfort and resistance.

Hooks describes how deeply traditional gender roles were embedded in 1950s society and their impact on her life and family, including the limitations placed on women and the emotional distance between fathers and daughters.

Young bell experiences the world as a place full of injustices and contradictions, struggling to find her own voice and assert herself against societal expectations and norms, ultimately finding her strength through solitude and writing.