Cara is at the hospital and witnesses Ivan abandoning Eddie. In what ways do you think the scene impacts her over the course of her life?
The author never spells that out in concrete terms, but it can be inferred from her behavior over the years, culminating with her unwillingness to abandon her father when he was older, she intuited that he was probably ill, and recognized that she might not get another chance to travel to Bali and spend time wit him. She learned a lesson early in life about the cruelty of failing to stand by someone you care about when they really need help, support, assistance, and/or acceptance.
Ii thought Cara said, at one point, that seeing Ivan abandon Eddie made her realize that we were all alone, and that sense stayed with her through her life.
I think Cara gave Ivan’s walkout about two thoughts. People do odd things. She proved to be a complete and utter airhead in her youth. I had a hard time seeing her as a sincere caring person later in life.
It impacted her enough at the time that she never forgot it. I think that it did make her feel more of a loyalty to others, including her aging father.