The manager of the lighting company where Julia works tells Julia that he'll be glad to help her find a job when she's ready. Julia tells the manager that her mother had her second child the same year that she got married, and that her first was a big success. Julia says that everyone around her has been trying to get her to marry since she turned 30. She's worried about how ugly she'll become as she gets older, and she worries that people will tell her that she doesn't deserve a job or a fortune. Julia is jealous of her friends and family, who are always talking about how happy she is and how much money she has. She feels like she has no right to be told how to live. Julia wonders if she can go live on a deserted island until she is older.