s angered by this continued child-like treatment, but she is also very embarrassed by her loss of control. She sees herself in the mirror, realizes that she has destroyed her hair and makeup, and suddenly becomes a little girl, apologizing and trying not to cry.
Part of Shelby's resistance to her mother's attempts to help her may be due to her disorientation during the attack, but she also seems to be resisting submitting to being a child again, at the mercy of her mother's control. Shelby stares her mother in the eyes, trying to regain the balance of her adult relationship, while her mother avoids eye contact and concentrates on the job at hand. M'lynn looks at Shelby to make sure that her daughter is recovered, but she does not look her in the eyes.
As soon as she knows that the attack is over, M'lynn withdraws, announcing, "Normality's very important to Shelby." Again, she speaks in the third person, maintaining her dominant but distant control. M'lynn is not a demonstrative person; she takes pride in keeping her emotions in control, and she expects the same from her daughter. The fact that Shelby is not as emotionally controlled is one of the sore points between the two women.
In the second example, this wildly different way of handling strong emotions is especially important. The second scene takes place the following Christmas. Shelby is home for the holidays and, during this scene, is taking M'lynn's dictation. Again, the
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