At some point in the chapter, Sophie's mom reflects that "She didn't want her Sophie to be hurt as she had been hurt all those years ago" (pp. 43-44). The second "she" is vague, but it's highly unlikely that in a Betts, her mother is reflecting on her past life before she married Sophie's father. So we'll assume that a man hurt Sophie at some point.
That's a relief, because little else besides a protective armor could excuse Sophie's lamentable cluelessness. The chapter details Sophie's busy work nights, interspersed with time spent in the car with Rijk. He drives her home for nights off, doesn't mind that she spends quite a bit of time sleeping, becomes instant friends with her family, etc. And she's still thick enough to think, "Just because he had taken her for a drive didn't mean that he had any interest in her" (pp. 27-28). And she's right, so far as that goes. She left out the offer to drive her home, the vaguely creepy knowledge of her address and memory for when she'll have nights off, etc. By the end of the chapter, after a kiss or two on the cheek and some familiarity with her family, she feels that he is going too fast, and she's skittish.
But not too skittish: by the end of the chapter, after several weeks' acquaintance, she finds herself thinking that "it would have been nice to find the professor waiting for her outside the door" (p. 45).
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
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