Describe symbolism in Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White

In Chapter 18, the anger, sadness, and rage that rises within Gypsy stems from years of pushing away the anger she felt at her father for what she thought of as a betrayal. Taking her anger out on herself, particularly her hair, shows that she is visualizing her hair as a symbol of her father. The mention that her scars are now visible indicate that Gypsy has known she was broken inside, but simply didn't have the strength to face it. Covering the mirror also symbolizes that Gypsy relates her own looks to a standard held by her father, which eventually caused him to take his own life.