Family Society in the Novel

The2recognition2as2a2high-class2person2by2wearing2expensive2stuff2is2very2 important2for2her2life.2She2thinks2that2others2will2see2her2as2a2woman2who2has2high2 standard2 of2 lifestyle.2 Thus,2 she2 never2 thinks2 about2 her2 future’s2 need2 such2 as2 a2 house,2saving,2and2so2on.2Rebecca2experiences2it2when2her2childhood2friends2ask2 her2to2get2a2better2flat2though2she2has2lived2in2a2good2flat2with2her2flat-mate.2 “Are2 you2 moving?”2 I2 say2 in2 surprise.2 Elly2 lives2 in2 the2 coolest2 flat2 in2 Camden,2with2two2guys2who2are2in2a2band2and2get2her2into2loads2of2free2gigs2 and2stuff.2I2can’t2think2why2she’d2want2to2move.22 “Actually,2I’m2buying,”2she2says.2“I’m2looking2around2Streatham,2Tooting2 …2I2just2want2to2get2on2the2first2rung2of2that2property2ladder.”2 “Right,”2I2say2feebly.2“Good2idea.”2 “You2should2do2it2yourself,2you2know,2Becky,”2she2says.2“You2can’t2hang2 around2in2a2student2flat2forever.2Real2life2has2to2begin2sometime”2 She2glances2at2one2of2her2men2in2suits,2and2he2gives2a2little2laugh.2It’s2not2a2 student2flat,2I2think2indignantly.2And2anyway,2who2defines2“real2life”?2Who2 says2“real2life”2is2property2ladders2and2hideous2pearl2earrings?2“Shit-boring2 tedious2life,”2Kinsella,22005:2130.2 2 Rebecca2thinks2that2she2has2already2had2a2good2life,2but2it2is2different2from2 what2other2see2about2her.2After2she2met2her2old2friend,2she2begins2to2think2about2 her2 life.2 By2 answering2 feebly,2 she2 looks2 so2 jealous2 of2 her2 friend.2 Then,2 her2 characteristic2 as2 a2 self-justification2 person2 influences2 her2 to2 justify2 her2 life2 in2 reality2which2is2much2more2different2to2her2old2friends2who2do2not2know2about2 fashion2at2all.2The2moment2of2self-talk2happens.2She2begins2to2blame2others2and2 thinks2 that2 she2 is2 right.2 Rebecca’s2 characteristic2 as2 a2 self-seeking2 person2 also2 makes2her2not2think2about2others.2She2feels2that2her2business2is2her2own.2No2one2 can2change2or2even2touch2it.22 The2writer2sees2that2Rebecca’s2reaction2to2her2old2friends2also2reveals2her2 characteristic2as2a2CBD2sufferer.2She2makes2her2own2business2become2the2most2 important2activity.2It2also2dominates2her2way2of2thinking2that2her2own2choice2is2 the2best2for2her.2In2terms2of2a2CBD2sufferer,2it2is2called2as2Salience. The2behavior2 that2Rebecca’s2has2tends2to2dominate2her2feelings2and2behavior.2Rebecca2feels2that2 her2activity2is2important2for2her2life2rather2than2others’2who2look2like2having2more2 perfect2 live.2 She2 will2 not2 care2 about2 others.2 In2 the2 characteristics2 of2 CBD,2 this2 situation2is2called2as2Salience2when2the2behavior2in2a2person’s2life2becomes2the2 most2important2and2tends2to2dominate2the2way2of2thinking,2feelings2and2behavior.222 The2 effect2 of2 society2 towards2 Rebecca2 is2 quite2 influential2 to2 support2 her2 characteristics2as2a2CBD2sufferer.2She2is2very2proud2of2herself2as2a2woman2who2 has2high-standard2of2lifestyle.2She2never2thinks2that2she2has2to2talk2about2property2 or2the2other2similar2stuff.2In2her2mind,2everything2that2she2has2done2is2the2best2for2 her2 though2 she2 has2 to2 make2 some2 distance2 in2 order2 to2 keep2 away2 from2 Derek2 Smeath2and2Ericca2who2come2from2Endwich2Bank.2Having2some2problems2with2 Bank2never2changes2her2mind2to2feel2sorry2about2her2problems.2Since2she2knows2 about2her2debt2from2the2Bank,2she2still2thinks2about2an2impossible2possibility2that2 can2fix2all2the2problems.2Thus,2the2characteristic2of2Salience can2also2be2seen2here.2 Almost2everything2that2she2thinks2as2the2“right”2thing2becomes2important.2It2also2 can2 also2 be2 seen2 as2 a2 shopaholic2 who2 has2 a2 debt2 problem,2 it2 dominates2 her2 thought,2feelings2and2behavior2that2she2is2still2in2the2right2path.22 And2ever2since2I2read2that2story,2my2secret2fantasy2has2been2that2the2same2 thing2 will2 happen2 to2 me.2 I2 mean,2 I2 know2 it2 sounds2 unlikely—but2 if2 it2 happened2 once,2 it2 can2 happen2 again,2 can’t2 it?2 Some2 dotty2 old2 woman2 in2 Cornwall2 will2 be2 sent2 my2 humongous2 bill2 and2 will2 pay2 it2 without2 even2 looking2at2it.2And2I’ll2be2sent2her2bill2for2three2tins2of2cat2food2at2fifty-nine2