I found the issues regarding Bianca Montoya at beginning of chapter 8 to be quite intriguing. As more dynamics of the neighborhoods inside the walls, we see an issue of women's inclusion in society arise. Bianca Montoya has become pregnant at 17 and due to the fact that she is not married to the baby's father, there is a feud between the two families. Lauren once again thinks differently than the rest of her neighborhood, as she narrates her doubts about having a baby given the current state of their society. This is an interesting take for Lauren, as she tends to have a more positive outlook on the future than her peers. Because of the difficulty of life, she is uncertain about having children and seems more sure that Bianca is being "stupid" rather than "brave.
As the novel progresses, we are learning more and more about Lauren's neighborhood. Certain social dynamics are revealed that were previously hidden, which I find very interesting. There are outcasts of the neighborhood in the Dunn family, who Lauren claims are commonly known as crazy. We learn this because of the fire that Amy Dunn causes, highlighting her destructive presence. Elsewhere, Mrs. Sims' cousins have inherited her house after her suicide. They are suspicious that people robbed the house when it was empty and generally don't trust anyone despite Lauren's father's claims. This leads to Lauren disliking them, which I'm sure will lead to problems in the future. The moment anyone remotely malicious entered the neighborhood, tense conflicts arise.
Another good post. What this book has to say about feminist issues is interesting -- and complex, and easily a lot more realistic than any of the other books we've dealt with.
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