Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
There's no denying it: Bryce's eyes are the best. Or at least Juli thinks so. And since she's gaga over these baby blues, she tells us about them a lot—and that makes these bad boys pretty important to the story.
The Most Beautiful Eyes in the World
Bryce's eyes are all about beauty. In fact, these eyes are so attractive that they're the very first things Juli tells us about in her opening chapter of Flipped:
The first day I met Bryce Loski, I flipped. Honestly, one look at him and I became a lunatic. It's his eyes. Something in his eyes. They're blue, and framed in the blackness of his lashes, they're dazzling. Absolutely breathtaking. (2.1)
When it comes to Bryce's eyes, Juli just can't get enough. And these aren't just any ocular orbs—nope, they're so incredible that they turn Juli into a lunatic. Sure she's being hyperbolic here, but her exaggeration lets us know that these beautiful eyes have a seriously huge effect on her.
Watch Out: Appearances Aren't Everything
Okay, so Bryce's eyes are ridiculously beautiful. But they also remind us that Juli's crush on Bryce is all about looks. While she spends tons of time admiring his handsome eyes, these two never talk much. Or hang out. Or really get to know each other.
And because Juli is so into Bryce's appearances she faces a tough question: what if the guy behind the beautiful eyes isn't all that and a bag of chips? What if Bryce's personality isn't as good-looking as his eyes? After all, appearances can be deceiving. (We have more on deception in the "Themes" section, so be sure to check it out.)
Just think about Mr. Loski. He's a handsome dude… and Juli says he has the same eyes as his son: "there was no mistaking where Bryce had gotten his eyes" (12.16). But while Mr. L. might look nice on the outside, he's got a serious mean streak on the inside. And over time, both Mrs. Loski and Juli need to learn that beauty isn't always what it's cracked up to be.
With all this beauty and deception wrapped up in Bryce's baby blues, do you think they're a more positive symbol or a negative one? And what else do you think these eyes might represent?