"Isn't she—a pretty girl, any more?" "Isn't she—a pretty girl, any more?"
"Oh, she's all right."
"Look here," said Dexter, sitting down suddenly, "I don't understand. You say she was a 'pretty girl' and now you say she's 'all right.' I don't understand what you mean—Judy Jones wasn't a pretty girl, at all. She was a great beauty. Why, I knew her, I knew her. She was—"
Devlin laughed pleasantly.
"I'm not trying to start a row," he said. "I think Judy's a nice girl and I like her. I can't understand how a man like Lud Simms could fall madly in love with her, but he did." Then he added: "Most of the women like her."
Dexter looked closely at Devlin, thinking wildly that there must be a reason for this, some insensitivity in the man or some private malice.
"Lots of women fade just like that," Devlin snapped his fingers. "You must have seen it happen. Perhaps I've forgotten how pretty she was at her wedding. I've seen her so much since then, you see. She has nice eyes."
A sort of dulness settled down upon Dexter. For the first time in his life he felt like getting very drunk.
What does the emphasis on the word pretty and Dexter’s reaction to the news of Judy’s situation tell readers about his attachment to her?

Respuesta :

Throughout their relationship, Dexter and Judy had a lot of problems, until they eventually parted ways. We know that Dexter's main reason for courting Judy was the fact that she was extremely beautiful, and Dexter is a superficial man. However, these feelings have faded and he no longer has such a positive opinion of Judy.

Nevertheless, upon hearing the news of Judy's present, he is shocked. He finds out that she has lost her looks, and that her present is not as shiny as it could have been. Although he has no love for her anymore, his reaction shows that he still feel sympathy for her, and perhaps pity and compassion.