"The Entertainer"

Intro:

I think the concept of "the entertainer" is very interesting in this story and it's introduced immediately, Mrs. Billingsley says that Rachel is so "entertaining." It seems that this is one way that women who aren't beauties, who aren't rich or skinny, can get into society. They can cut up for the rich people, entertain them. And Rachel has this skill. We also learn that her mother is pretty jaded ("operate aging dick" is pretty cold) and not a good role model. But then her father seems to be caught up in his own personal fantasy world too.

Conclusion:

It's interesting that Rachel wants to climb into bed and think up catchphrases for her father. In some ways, the absent father is the better of the two role models Rachel has. The mention of his deserving applause is delivered as an absurdity, an immature thing for a grown man w/ a wife and daughter to do. However, by the end of the story, you almost think that it might be the better of two choices, esp. if the other choice is just to find someone rich.