Don't judge a book by its cover
Lost and Found“Don't judge a book by its cover” is the expression Ransom uses to push back against Bethany’s assumptions about his appearance. In their exchange, it both answers her skepticism and leads directly to a question about her plan for having a fake boyfriend at her reunion.
Use in the Conversation
Ransom has just joked that men with 1950s bad-boy hair can be wealthy and have diverse interests. Bethany counters that they usually are not. He responds with the saying, addressing her by name, then asks what she had in mind. The expression functions as a playful rebuke: outward style, he suggests, is not enough to determine a person’s wealth or range of interests.
Narrative Function
The proverb also redirects the conversation from assumptions about Ransom to the arrangement Bethany is trying to devise. Her pause brings a practical weakness in her plan into view: she has not thought through how the fake-boyfriend story will work. She then proposes that the relationship be presented as having begun through work. In this moment, the saying’s emphasis on looking beyond appearances echoes the story’s premise of a performed relationship, while helping move their banter into planning.
