I am not sure that there is any lesson to be taken from the character of Twink Weatherby, but her purpose in the book seems to be to illustrate the similarities between humans and animals in the way they seek and win their mates. Lem Forrester and Oliver Hutto are both enamored by the comely Twink, and fight with a blind hatred of each other while she stands idly by. In trying to explain the phenomenon to Jody, Penny says about animals,

"...when they're courtin', they're mean and hateful...their gorge rises, or their spleen, and seems like the hatefulness gits right into their flesh."

Penny says that male bears will "fight turrible," while "the female'll stand off and watch the fightin." Jody, who understands the comparison clearly, chimes in by commenting, "like Twink Weatherby," and Penny affirms what he says, going on to explain,, "...like Twink Weatherby, and then she'll go off with the one wins the fight."

Another purpose of Twink's character, and Grandma Hutto's as well, is to illustrate the reaction of other women, less attractive to men, towards those who men find alluring. Ma Baxter demonstrates this reaction, as she makes insinuations that Twink, and Grandma in her time, are "leetle ol' chipperdales" who should make their choice, marry, and be done with all the nonsense. Although the character of Twink is not very well developed, it is evident in Grandma's case, at least, that part of her appeal towards men is her pleasing personality. It seems that a good deal of the anomosity between those women who attract men with their femininity and those who do not is caused by simple jealousy, but the extent to which this is true is not clear.