Neve believes she’s profitable as a result of she has managed to transcend class, and whereas she says she’s “proud” to be Black, acts as if she has, by some means, transcended her race too. Very like the iconised American dream, The Strays highlights the lesser-discussed ‘British dream’ which additionally romanticizes the assumption that by means of easy meritocracy, everybody can change their social standing no matter race or social class by means of onerous work. Neve doesn’t consider this. She’s absolutely conscious how a proximity to whiteness can enhance possibilities of reaching a really particular model of British success; one with acres and acres of expansive inexperienced house, large nation estates and elitist non-public faculties, worlds other than the concrete playground of inner-city London. Out in suburban monoracial English cities, the multiculturalism of the UK’s large cities (in addition to easy accessibility to plantain, Black hair salons and kinship out of your skin-folk) is traded for this over-prescribed perfect. We quickly study the total extent of Neve’s sacrifice (one she was pleased to do, thoughts you), and the way a lot it takes to distance herself from a previous that may quickly creep again into full view.