Face

The narrator and Nancy are best friends. The narrator is lonely because of his appearance, a birthmark that covers half of his face. He is rejected by his father, loved and protected by his mother. Nancy never seems to be affected by the narrator's face until one day, she paints her face red. In the eyes of the narrator, Nancy has exposed the way he is seen by the world. Their friendship is over.

Nancy, on the other hand, is being raised by her mother, who is referred to as a "horrible" woman. The narrator is her friend. In my opinion, Nancy's actions were not malicious..... they were an attempt to connect. The narrator's identity is largely based upon his "face". The children's estrangement is based upon that identity.