You aren't going to offer to shave my legs for me, too, are you? His hands suddenly stopped moving. There was a stillness and a silence for such a drawn out moment, she wondered if she had somehow offended him. Marcie, he finally said. Why in the world would you shave your legs? They're hairy! So what? Who's gonna care? She thought about this for a second. She was on the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere with a man who looked like Grizzly Adams in a place that didn't even have indoor plumbing. Why would she shave her legs? And armpits? Finally, in a little voice, she said, I would. He
In this excerpt from "A Virgin River Christmas" by Robyn Carr, the character Marcie finds herself questioning societal expectations regarding personal grooming. As she jokingly asks a man if he will shave her legs for her, the moment becomes tense, leading him to express disbelief at her need to do so at all, given their rugged surroundings. His reaction highlights the stark contrast between their lifestyles and the trivial concerns of urban life.
Marcie reflects on the absurdity of worrying about her leg hair in the wilderness, where she is surrounded by nature and far removed from civilization. Despite her practical circumstances, she admits to the man that, on some level, she still desires to maintain those grooming standards for herself. This reveals her internal conflict and a recognition of personal identity beyond societal norms, emphasizing the complexities of self-image in different environments.
