Character Clues
Character Analysis
Physical Appearances
To say that Cath and Wren dealt with their mom's absence differently is an understatement. Wren rushed toward adulthood, while Cath hung back in childhood. Wren dismissed Simon Snow and fanfic when she got to college; Cath clung to Simon and his stories as an anchor. Their physical appearances reflect their inner differences. Rowell writes:
When she and Wren divided up their clothes, Wren had taken anything that said "party at a boy's place" or "leaving the house." Cath had taken everything that said "up all night writing" or "it's okay to spill tea on this." (16.141)
Cath prefers to languish in her room in pajama pants and a custom Simon Snow tee-shirt from Etsy, while Reagan and Wren, on the other hand, get dressed up and actually go places. And when Reagan finally drags Cath to the dining hall, they bond by snarking on their fellow students' attire. Case in point: Ugg boots. While Reagan thinks they're hideous, Cath finds them endearing. As she tells Reagan:
n fashionable places, you have to pretend that you're over them, or that you've always hated them. But in Nebraska, you can still be happy about new Ugg boots. That's nice. There's no end of the innocence. (22.36)
As Reagan's disapproval of Uggs shows, though, even in Nebraska Cath's a bit behind the times.
To go a bit deeper than clothing, Reagan carries herself with a confidence that makes her attractive, while Levi's casual self-assurance indicates to Cath that he's done all kinds of things she hasn't, such as drinking, smoking, and having sex. She, on the other hand, experiences a major moment when she finally literally lets her hair down. Cath may not be ready for sex, but embracing the idea that she could be physically attractive is a major step toward developing a sexual identity.
Family Life
Cath and Levi are a study in contrast, especially when it comes to their family lives. While Levi grew up in the small town of Arnold with deeply religious, still-married parents, Cath grew up in the relatively big city of Omaha with a single dad. Well, she had a mom for a while, but Laura decided to bail in the name of finding herself.
Cath, Wren, and their father grew closer together and farther apart in her absence—they bonded in caring for each other, but they diverged in their private suffering. Although they all expressed it differently, they were all broken. Wren became more rebellious, Mr. Avery became more manic, and Cath became the keeper of the insurance card.
Hey, somebody had to do it. And how they all respond to the family dynamics gives us major clues to who each of them are in the world.
Sex and Love
When you're eighteen, you're going to define your peer group in part by who's a virgin and who's not. Humanity will be sharply divided between folks who lost it in high school and folks who, well, didn't. You'll look around and wonder who's who. If someone—say, Levi—is cute and twenty-one years old, you'll assume he's probably lost it. In Cath's case, she knows for sure, since her roommate lost it with him.
Wren and Reagan are the sexperts in Cath's life, but Cath trumps all when it comes to love. Well, describing love, anyway. She writes such swoon-worthy scenes for Simon and Baz that you'd never know the only boyfriend she's ever had was Abel the end table. When she falls in love with Levi, she realizes it's actually much simpler to put the real thing into words. It turns out just saying I love you will suffice. Who knew? Cath didn't, but now she does, and this shift helps us understand the shifts she experiences as she comes into her own.