Final answer:
Riley's response to her friend in the absence of Joy at the headquarters may reflect a greater sense of individual emotional autonomy, similar to the character who experienced empowerment without her spouse. If Joy were present, Riley's reactions could be expected to skew towards optimism and happiness influenced by Joy's character.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question seems to revolve around the reactions and emotions of a character, Riley, without the influence of Joy at the headquarters. The provided text references various narratives, potentially to draw parallels to the student's question about how a character's emotional response might differ in the absence of another character who typically guides or influences their emotions. Without knowing the specifics of Riley and Joy's dynamic, we can infer from the provided texts that characters often experience a profound shift in their emotional responses when key individuals are absent. For instance, just as the character in the excerpt experienced a revelatory moment of individual empowerment and self-assertion in the absence of her spouse, Riley might react to her friend in a manner that reflects her own personal growth or emotional autonomy absent Joy's influence. Conversely, if Joy were present at the headquarters, Riley's reaction could have been more influenced by optimism or happiness, as these are the emotions typically represented by Joy in narrative contexts.