The first time we are introduced to Dolly she is in the company of a Catalina pilot with her dress up and his belt undone. This demonstrates her promiscuous and immoral nature.
"She liked the stink of salt. Right now, with the rime of sex on her, she smelt of sex herself. Oh, those Yanks are somethin, she thought; Jesus Christ they"re somethin.".
Dolly loves sex and uses it as a medium for exchange. This is evident when Dolly has her way with Lester as repayment for Lester paying off Sam's debt. It is Dolly who initiates the feeling but soon after Lester is taken by his own desire. After it is over and they have climbed off the kitchen table Lester asks .
"Was that rape do you think?".
That is the effect Dolly has on men; she drives them into a wild sense of ferocious passion and as this is not characteristic of Lester he questions what has just happened.
Sex is the only way Dolly can show her gratitude because sex is her greatest strength. .
Dolly's name suggests innocence and perhaps that she is passive, and yet she is the complete opposite. .
Her family history has made Dolly the way she is, she uses sex and alcohol to shut out what she really is instead of facing what has happened and positively moving on with her life but she obviously isn't capable of that. It is suggested that she hated her father and mother, but it is unclear whether she still does when she is tells Rose;.
"You shouldn't hate me. It doesn't help. Ya shouldn't do it" .
Dolly wants love. When she sees young "fresh-titted" girls in the street looking at Ted she felt jealousy, she didn't want him loving anyone else. .
Her attitude towards men and sex stems from her disturbing family tree; Dolly is the result of incest. .
Even though Dolly doesn't take care of herself and gets so drunk that she passes out on the railway track, she still has her pride. Oriel nurses Dolly back to health, and after Dolly has recovered, she vows never to talk to Oriel again, partly through embarrassment but mainly through pride.
