Laurie's Gloves

Laurie's new gloves symbolize beauty that is taken for granted. In the cab on the way to the ball, Leila watches as Laurie removes his gloves from their box and discards the tissue paper. Leila, taking in every detail of the evening, wishes she could have kept the tissue paper as a form of remembrance. Laurie's discarding the paper while Leila longs to cherish it illustrates the way Leila's inexperience allows her to see beauty and worth in all aspects of the evening while the rest of the attendees approach the ball with nonchalance, boredom, or indifference.

Ladies' Room

The ladies' room at the dance hall symbolizes domestic labor. While in the room, Leila is stunned by the number of different women running around preparing their appearances for the ball. Here, in describing this private space of young women, the story suggests that the work...