"Then in the magic of puberty..."
The first thing that stuck out to me is the ironic tone of the poem. The speaker suggests that puberty is magical, but it is common knowledge that puberty is a rough patch in adolescence. The irony is fortified when we learn of the girls "fat nose" and "thick legs," and how persevering the girl is in apologizing for these eye sores by being well-mannered and good-natured. The simile that reinforces this is that she "wore out like a fan belt." This brings me to the overstatement in "she cut off her nose and her legs." The girl, out of shame, tries very much to make up for an ugly appearance, which she has no control over. She was a hearty, nice-mannered girl that wore herself out by being good-natured. In a way, she "cut off her nose and her legs" by taking many steps to divert any attention away from her appearance and by trying to emphasize the better qualities of herself. I think the author means to criticize this behavior of anxiety caused by appearances, and the guilt people feel for the aspect of their character that they cannot control. "To every woman a happy ending" is ironic to emphasize the tragedy in this girl wearing herself out to make up for an unpleasant appearance.
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