Jeannette's mother had an excuse for everything, she consistently pretended everything was okay.... that her children were well and cared for. In this instance, Jeannnette does the unthinkable by coerrecting her mother's foggy reality and stating the truth. The children had nothing to eat, and Rose Mary talked about imaginary meals and food that wasn't there..... Jeannette finally had the gumption to say, "I was hungry."
The words the author chooses to use in a passage can change the whole tone and feeling of the story in many different ways, or add depth and detail to the story.
