The Three of them were beautiful, in the way all girls of that age are beautiful. It can't be helped, that sort of beauty, nor can it be conserved; it's a freshness, a plumpness of the cells, that's unearned and temporary, and that nothing can replicate. None of them was satisfied with it, however; already they were making attempts to alter themselves into some impossible, imaginary mould, plucking and pencilling away at their faces. I didn't blame them, having done the same once myself.
The passage reflects on the ephemeral nature of youth and beauty, emphasizing how three girls embody a freshness typically found in young women. This beauty is described as unearned and fleeting, a natural quality that cannot truly be preserved. Despite this inherent beauty, the girls are dissatisfied and seek to change their appearances to fit an unrealistic ideal, engaging in various beauty rituals like plucking and penciling their faces.
The narrator expresses a sense of understanding toward their struggles, recalling their own past attempts to conform to societal beauty standards. This shared experience highlights the pressure on young women to adhere to specific images of attractiveness, revealing a common theme of insecurity that accompanies the fleeting nature of youth.