When She Reflects “Take it from someone who left their backpack full of bricks far behind. Every day seems lighter than a feather,” she uses symbolism to describe how perfection is limiting (300). The backpack represents the knowledge that we carry with us every day and the building blocks of our idea of ​​perfection. These ideas are bricks instead of paper, because they have a big impact on someone's life, if one "is perfect." Undoubtedly, the weight of such a backpack would prohibit its wearer from doing all kinds of things, just as adherence to ideals of perfection is limiting. Therefore, when Quindlen claims that "she left her backpack full of bricks far behind", the audience knows that she has given up on "being perfect" and by asserting that "every day is light as a feather" , she proves that her idea is beneficial. which helps convince the audience to change their point of view and reap the same benefits as her