What does Jewelry represent?

Jewelry symbolizes feminine beauty, and Hanna’s desire to steal jewelry from the women around her represents a vengeful attack on their femininity. After Suzette refuses to take her to Alex’s company party, Hanna steals “a pair of sparkling little hoop earrings” (11), hoping to make her mother less beautiful. Later, she steals her babysitter Abha’s jewelry. “There were four rings, each enticing in its own way. But in the end, she chose the smallest one, with a braided band and a reddish stone in the middle” (15). These small acts of revenge show the way that Hanna associates beauty and power.