One of the messages in Safety of Numbers is not to judge a book by its cover.

The Narrator
throughout some part of the story kept saying her mom wasn’t anything she said she was. The Narrator
was told that her mother used to be a fearless activist, it was hard to believe because she became small in
living her life. “At what point did she become so small in her living of life?” (Paragraph 28) Her mother
became so small in her living life because she was so worried about other peoples lives instead if her
own.

After hearing all that the Narrator decided to test her mother. She started testing her mother’s vocabulary
and start to mess with her by pretending someone broke into the house. “Sometimes I test her vocabulary
too.” (Pg 33) “I sip on my orange juice and wait until she leaves. Then I go into her bedroom, unlock the
tiny window, and leave it open just an inch.” (Pg 43) She wanted to prove her vocabulary wrong, and she
cracked the windows to mess with her. Later on, in the story the Narrator eventually gives in and believes
in her stories. But she also vowed not to grow to be like her.