In Alice Munro's "Lives of Girls and Women," the narrator describes a peculiar appendage resembling a mushroom, characterized by its reddish-purple hue. This description emphasizes the oddity of the object, highlighting its blunt and seemingly unintelligent nature. Such a contrast is drawn against human features like fingers and toes, which possess a certain expressiveness and intelligence, making them more relatable and dynamic.

The comparison serves to illustrate the narrator's perception of bodies and their parts, underlining the ways in which certain features can appear more alive or responsive than others. This exploration of physicality and its implications in understanding identity and experience positions the simple object within a broader commentary on human nature and complexity.