I think there's a motherly tone here too (although maybe that's just because I'm a mother.) Every parent feels like they want to protect their child from the cruelty of other kids, and wishes that all nice little girls could grow up to be homecoming queen.
There are lots of allusions to fairy tales too - the "pretty dress" she's putting on for the dance reminds me of Cinderella ("all the pretty princes will see you"), and the "red coat" and "walking in the woods" could reference Little Red Riding Hood. Both stories about the ways girls are victimized by a scary outside world, and what we have to put ourselves through to gain acceptance.
I think there's a motherly tone here too (although maybe that's just because I'm a mother.) Every parent feels like they want to protect their child from the cruelty of other kids, and wishes that all nice little girls could grow up to be homecoming queen.
There are lots of allusions to fairy tales too - the "pretty dress" she's putting on for the dance reminds me of Cinderella ("all the pretty princes will see you"), and the "red coat" and "walking in the woods" could reference Little Red Riding Hood. Both stories about the ways girls are victimized by a scary outside world, and what we have to put ourselves through to gain acceptance.