In the story "Cotton Candy," Lola suffers from not being able to fulfill her sexual needs because her mother did not want her to grow up and live life on her own. Growing up, Lola named butterflies after some of the men in her life that she felt lust for. As Lola gets older, she gets a job at a zoo spinning cotton candy. Lola is so fascinated with her new job because she is able to watch the animals engage in intercourse which is something she missed out on and was never able to experience. One spring, Lola finds a mirror and when she looks into it, she sees herself as young and covered in makeup and jewelry. Towards the end of the story, Lola encounters a black man who is a Jockey, with very defined features. Lola is in so much shock that she takes out her mirror and when she does, she sees the girl from Minas smiling at her.
These two stories are similar because both Cog-Burt and Lola are struggling when it comes to their looks and they have trouble expressing the things that they want. Lola was unable to find a man and have her sexual desires met because of her mother trying to keep her from growing up. Cog-Burt was unable to tell Moira that he wanted the fairy on top of the tree so, his mother speaks up for him so that he is able to get what he wants. Essentially, both characters are impacted by their mothers whether it is in a good or bad way.
