The stories in this thesis feature women sacrificing parts of themselves in order to escape situations borne of societal pressure. The instances of emotional, mental, and physical sabotage my protagonists exact on themselves allow them to respond to the expectations placed on women. In "Into Thin Air," the expectations are professional and result in two women being distanced and detached from their bodies. In "Storied," an elderly woman's body is ruined through self-harm. And in "The Daughters," each woman becomes a mother on terms that extend beyond the simple desire to bear a child.