The challenges that Miranda faces as she grows up results from her family and her beauty. Miranda was born into the upper class. Her father is a doctor and her mother is a drunk. Miranda and her sister Minny have respect for their father, but they also “despised D for putting up with [their mother]” (151). Miranda does not like her mother, Miranda says “[She has] always been my mother [I have] hated or been ashamed of” (151). Miranda admits that her mother is a mean drunk and she has had many mixed feelings towards her mother; “that day when [her mother] was drunk and hit [Miranda] … [Miranda] can remember standing there with [her Mother’s] slap on [her] cheek and feeling ashamed, outraged, shocked, everything . . . but sorry for her [mother]” (174). …show more content…
She says “[She has] accepted that [her Mother] tried to stop [her] from becoming an artist … [she] knew [she] was supposed to be the son and surgeon poor D never was” (174). Miranda does not want to have a like marriage her parents, “[she] want[s] to prove to [herself] that all marriages [need not] be like D and M’s” (150). Miranda’s beauty is also a hazard, she has to down play it. People objectify her by her beauty, an example of this is when she is at Art school and she is told by Professor Higgins “[you] [do not] really stand a dog’s chance anyhow. [You are] too pretty” (169). Clegg is attracted to her because of her beauty and he also objectifies her by her beauty. He thinks that because of her beauty she can do no wrong. Miranda is able to recognise her hazards and because of this she seeks out ways to deal with