Other families also embody the themes of insufficient familial support and the perpetuation of cultural images of despair. Maureen Peal, a light-skinned newcomer who embraces Euro-American styles and culture, initially expresses sympathy for Pecola. However, when other children begin to ridicule Pecola, Claudia, and Frieda, Maureen realizes the social repercussions of associating with Pecola and begins to validate the insults aimed at her. Claudia perceives Maureen as a living "white doll" and attempts to strike her but accidentally hits Pecola, marking one of the novel's most overt symbolic actions. Maureen's final insult underscores the link between her family's assimilation strategy and the hostility that minorities sometimes feel toward others within their own ethnic group.