Smarts or Looks?

Lorelei is depicted as an ambitious blonde who is constantly striving to become smarter. However, this is an unreliable description, since Lorelei is the narrator. She wants people to see her as interested in books and improving her mind rather than materialistic possessions. The stories she tells suggests otherwise. She is manipulative, using various strategies to get what she wants. She even went as far as paying a bell hop, Henry, to get her flowers while she is with Sir Francis Beekman in order to trick him into sending her flowers everyday after that. She does this in order to open Beekman up to buying her more things such as jewelry, and eventually the diamond tiara. She does not show interest in books as much as she says she likes to read. Whenever she gets books as a gift, she either gets bored of them or she gives them away. It is quite apparent that she relies on her looks and "charm" to get by, as well as occasional wit.