White Oleander. Themes and Question.

As of now, I am on page 300. Strength, authority, and beauty are the three themes that stuck out to me the most within White Oleander. The strength comes mostly from Astrid and her mother, Ingrid. Both two very strong individuals. I don't believe that Astrid would be able to "survive", as she says, in her situation if it weren't for the inner strength that she has. She, like her mother, doesn't let people get to her. She knows who she is and she sticks to that. I found that that was pretty much the same case for her mother Ingrid. Although she's in prison, she still manages to do what she loves, poetry and write to her daughter. In her letters, it is still very clear on who she is and what she believes; prison hasn't changed her one bit. Authority. At least once every chapter, there is a section where Ingrid's letters to Astrid seem like they were written by an authority figure. "Astrid, don't forget who you are." Almost every letter there is something written like that or, "Don't do that, I will not have it," "Read this book, maybe it will clear your head," something along those lines. Not only those letters, but within every foster home she goes to, there is a different type of authority. I've seen it go through religious, to demanding, to ultra strict, and loving and caring. The last theme I saw, beauty, I found to be very interesting. Astrid seems to be almost obsessed with her appearance in some way or another, and how she is seen by other people. Comparing herself to the figure of her foster mother Starr, or how her neighbor Olivia uses her beauty to get what she wants. How does she fit into these categories, Astrid often wonders. How do the scars on her face effect how people see her? Could she use them to her advantage? I just found that one interesting because that's how a lot of teenage girls think, and I don't believe that they should. Beauty has nothing to do with who a person is, but somehow it always makes its way into everyone's thoughts. My essay question would be, do you often see these themes in your life, or life around you? How do strength, authority, and beauty fit in around you? Are any of them important to you in any way?