In the short story About My Aunt, I couldn't help but to enjoy the lifestyle and attitude of the aunt.  She was truly bucking the system of what was considered the norm and living her life as she chose.  The story showed how the aunt was thoroughly in touch with what did and didn't work for her. She wasn't caught up in continuing on in scenarios that didn't please her regardless of where that left others.  To some degree she was self-centered.  The niece on the other hand was the polar opposite of her aunt.  She seemed to be a settler of what life handed her without her taking the bull by the horns and looking ahead to see what would work best for her or what she may like best.  Her child it seemed arrived out of one of those scenarios where he came along before she knew herself what she was doing.  The two of them were just barely getting by with one example being she ended up in the leftover apartment of a former lover.  Again another example that there was no rhyme or reason to her life.  A more stark example of her being someone who is just settling is the acceptance of a boyfriend who he also has no plan and is just living life by the seat of his pants.  She takes her time that she will never get back and spends that time with a boyfriend who marginally cares for her.  This time that she is willing to sacrifice is precious time away from her child that she will never get back and what is she doing with this time, taking a long monotonous bus ride to see "her" boyfriend who she may very well be one in his collection of a few.