The introduction of The Entertainer is showing the correlation of this lower middle class family and a family that is very high class. While Rachel's Mom wants to hide her life or as she says it her divorce, hatchback, and teeth even though we know it goes deeper then that, Mrs. Billingsley wants to show or expose her life but not directly. This is why Rachel's mom is contacted about the trip not Rachel. Because Mrs. Billingsley wants to let someone new into her life and family. And she knows if its up to the daughter she wont want to go she doesn't think she will fit in. But the mother would push her to go trying to fit her daughter into that higher class of society which is why the offer seems so innocent.
The conclusion has a similar effect of the correlation between Rachel's mom and Mrs. Billingsly. Mrs. Billingsly went through exactly what Rachel's mom wants to happen to Rachel. Except with a twist to the readers. It inst as nice of a dream as Rachel's mom told us it would be. Mrs. Billingsly only got married for her husbands money. Even though everyone else loved him she didn't. But because of everyone else she also decided to love him. She had to work for a bit to get him to fall for her then after that she didn't have to work for anything at all. Exactly what Rachel's mom had described. But where she said it in a way to make Rachel life seem easy from that point, Mrs. Billingsly said it in away that made it seem terrible. She talks as if being in Rachel's position in the middle class was better. As if working that sandwich shop was better then doing nothing. As if working towards something was better then not working at all. And the final point is made that Mrs. Billingsly wants here daughters to be normal which is something they are not. Just like Rachel's mom wanting her to be something she is not.