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Sophie likes to share her life openly even to share her private life to someone she has just already known whom she thinks good to talk to. She feels comfortable
enough to share her private life to others that it can lighten her stress. The conversation moved on to more personal topics. ….
She told him about Betterton and Mum’s three husbands and infinite lovers and Floyd, the pony John had given her for her thirteenth birthday, whom
she’d had abandoned when Mum ran off with Jimmy. It was the kind of conversation you would never have with a passing acquaintance, but only
someone you wanted to know a lot, lot better. 432
2. Natasha’s Characteristics a. Independent
Natasha is described as an independent person. She is used to managing and organizing her life orderly. Since in her childhood, she always be the more intelligent
in her school. She is so independent that she has learnt anything by herself from books. In the novel, it is written that she likes reading books, and learning from them
which are not only about science but also about knowledge of life. “Natasha had always been a great believer in books. As a child they had
transported her to a world where a gang of children rounded up international criminals and Cinderella got the prince and now she still relied on her
manuals that told her how to buy the best beauty products, how to dress correctly, how to decorate, how to have perfect manners, how to appreciate
wine, how to stay in hip hotels, how never to pun on a kilo, how to be great in bed. She kept them hidden under her bed and studied them earnestly at night
time, writing down the key bits in her Smythson notebook.” 101
From the way she thinks and behaves, Natasha tends to consider anything seriously. Natasha always takes a deep concern on what she is doing. And she is used
to living in tidiness and discipline. Natasha always thinks that if everything is well organized, she will have a perfect day because everything is under her control as
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quoted from the novel: “Natasha was furious with herself. She liked to control every aspect of her life. How could she have cocked up today so badly?” 7
As other English people do at the time whenever they have grown up is that they have to live apart from their parents, Natasha also started to live on her own after
she had graduated from university. She left her parent’s house and decided to live in London and bought a great flat after she had got her job she was proud of.
Natasha considers herself so independent that she always tells others that she does not need boyfriend or a man to marry as quoted from the novel:
“Online dating is for losers,” she snapped brusquely, pulling on her slim-cut leather jacket. “Anyway, I’m quite happy the way I am.” 86
“ …. I’m happy the way I am. Single. I don’t need a man.” 118-119 She feels satisfied enough with her life that she lives in luxurious flat, has many well-
designed clothes, and has got acquaintance with many famous people at her work. And all of Natasha’s friends know about it. Sometimes they feel proud of her being
independent. It can be known from the quoted below: “…. Not like you. You’re a tough cookie. An independent woman. You can
look after yourself.” 441 “She knew Alastair liked her because she was so independent and busy, but to
make their relationship work she had to be utterly dependent on him and his plans, which meant sacrificing her own social life.” 255
Sometimes, being an independent person is hard to do since human is a social being. Even she is an independent person and proudly says that she is happy being
single and does not need a man, but at her deep down heart Natasha actually needs others to trust her life in. But when she finally gets, she has desperate relationship by
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having an affair with someone who has already engaged.
b. Attentive
The similarity between Sophie and Natasha is that both of them have affection on others’ life. Sophie is an attentive person, and so is Natasha. Natasha has admitted
Sophie and Marcus as her own family. She always cares about them. Even though she was busy, Natasha was willing to spare her time to attend Marcus’ wedding. And
Natasha thought that she preferred to live with her best friend as a soulmate than to live in marriage.
Natasha had picked her own name. “I wouldn’t have a wedding,” she said firmly. “I think marriage is an outdated institution. I’m going to live with a
soul mate.” 3
It isn’t doubted that Natasha thinks about her friend especially Sophie and her family. She always tried to keep in touch with them either by phoning or visiting
them. It is stated from the quotation taken from the novel below: “Do you think Marcus is OK?” Natasha said when they were sitting in their
minicab. They hadn’t even been able to say goodbye to him properly, since he was hunched over his laptop in the TV room, shouting orders down a
speakerphone.” 122
Like what Sophie does to her, Natasha also constantly shows her attention to Sophie. She always offers place for Sophie to stay and be willing to listen her friend’s
problem. It is like what she says in the novel: “Are you sure you’ll be OK here?” Natasha asked. “I promise you, you can stay at mine.” 205
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c. Workaholic
Natasha likes to work, and she loves her job much that she is very proud of being a head of drama for the most successful independent TV Company in Britain.
From her job, she could afford luxurious things such as well designed clothes and expensive cosmetics. It can be seen from the quotation below:
“Natasha had to keep reminding herself that she wasn’t exactly hard done by herself: she had a job as head of drama for the most successful independent
TV Company in Britain, which meant enough money to buy pretty much anything she wanted, an amazing flat in the center of London and a hotline to
the ma
Î
tre d’ of each of the capital’s best restaurants. ….” 10 As a head of popular TV drama program, Natasha gets many important duties
to do that takes much her time and energy. She is so busy with her job, meeting important people for her script, traveling overseas, handling contracts and debating
for auditions. It is showed by the quotation below: “Over the next week Natasha was super-busy: going back and forwards to the
studios, holding meetings about various scripts, arguing about casting, not to mention the New York trip flying first class and staying at the Four Seasons
and a night in Zurich, ….” 102
Even sometimes she didn’t have enough time to ease herself, for example she didn’t have enough time to prepare herself before she went to Marcus’ wedding as quoted
from the novel: “I know. I’ve just got back from a meeting in Munich. Didn’t have time to change.” 11
Although she does not have enough time for her pleasure and rarely has time for hanging out with her friends, but Natasha really enjoys her job. She does her job
seriously that she wants to show her responsibility and her triumph to others. Therefore, people who have been acquainted with her know that she is fond of her
