1) The first few paragraphs are awkward, and in a good way. We learn immediately that Phoebe desperately wants her mother’s approval, but she is not the kind of woman who gives up praise easily.
2) I love how conversational the first person narrator is. You’ll notice that Phoebe addresses the reader: “hopefully you’ll forgive them…” This tactic brings the reader closer, but deflates some of the works’s formality, which is perfectly fine in a comedy.
3) Notice how the waistband of the dress is “snug.” What a subtle and graceful way to indicate that Phoebe might not be as skinny as she once was. Think about how stories and protagonists work. Phoebe and the world around her can’t be at an all-time high; there’s no drama unless she and her world are at something of a low point.
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