Lauren tends to have different views on life and the future than those in her neighborhood. After Amy's death and the cremation of her body, Lauren spends more time with Joanne who seems to be exactly what the rich want her to be: she doesn't believe they can escape their situation and simply hopes for a better life after death. Lauren is much more involved in her future and won't settle for less which I admire her for. It seems that many people agree with Lauren about the government's incompetence, but seem to be accepting and content with the fact that nothing will change. Lauren's imaginative approach sets her apart from Joanne, and so far she is alone in that approach.
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.
Good points. Lauren does stand out from everyone else in this book (and not just because it's in her point of view). She is probably the ideal leader, or at least is becoming one, for this terrible world they live in.
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