By the age of sixteen, Jane was overwhelmed by her mother's disheartening perspective on aging and motherhood. Her mother painted a bleak picture of youth as a fleeting moment, followed by a dreaded decline. This narrative emphasized a harsh reality where everything about a woman deteriorated once she entered adulthood, suggesting that having children resulted in irreversible physical changes and losses. Jane felt burdened by these tales, feeling as though they dictated her fate.

The imagery of falling, as her mother described, symbolized the inevitable decline that awaited women. The comparison to a fallen apple highlighted the loss of vitality and the harsh consequences of motherhood, which Jane found disheartening. This perspective shaped her understanding of womanhood as one marked by sacrifice and degradation, fueling her disillusionment with the traditional roles expected of her as she navigated her own journey into adulthood.