Lynne Truss in her book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" highlights the contrasting roles of punctuation marks, particularly focusing on the full stop and the apostrophe. She describes full stops as simple and unchanging, doing just one task effectively before being overlooked, much like a stolid male figure. Their primary role is to indicate the end of a sentence, and they maintain a steadfast presence in writing.

In contrast, the apostrophe is portrayed as a dynamic, busy entity, similar to a multitasking female. It plays various roles in contractions and possessives, often leading to confusion and exhaustion due to its diverse responsibilities. Truss suggests that while full stops maintain a solid, reliable presence, apostrophes navigate a more complex linguistic landscape, reflecting the inherent challenges of punctuation.