1935's greatest: alice adams

in smalltown america, there is nothing grander than socialite balls and debutante parties. and there is nothing more embarrassing than being escorted by your delinquent brother in a rented hooptie. she wears the same dress for every occasion, but she knows everyone there by first name. we all know the type: economically-deprived but yearning to roll with the richies and rollickers. flirts with sophistication and confidence, hiding underneath a volcano of doubt. her parents want a better, upwardly mobile life for her and she insists she can do it herself. glimpses of modern capitalism making its voice first heard. i've never see katharine hepburn, the new england aristocrat of cool, be so desperate and delusional. it's bittersweet and almost sad. the stuff of kitchenette teardrops.