Character Clues

Character Analysis

Actions

Never has the old adage "actions speak louder than words" rung more true than in The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. People may consider Frankie a Bunny Rabbit, but her actions say otherwise. She's actually an infiltrator of secret societies, and quite the devious mastermind. As for Matthew, he's constantly saying that he cares about Frankie and wants to do what makes her happy, but his actions also speak otherwise. He ditches her regularly for his friends and even lies to her.

Names

The names in The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks are actually quite illuminating. Take Alpha for instance. What comes to mind when you think of his name? That he's a weakling, or that he's the alpha dog—the one that leads his group of friends? Frankie's name is also telling in that she's named after her father; she goes on to bust up her dad's old group, the Loyal Order's males-only policy. Even Zada's name is indicative of who she is—a slightly off-kilter older sister who warns Frankie about following the pack. Maybe you shouldn't judge characters or people by their names, but in this book, it's a handy tool to fall back on.

Social Status

Alpha and his friends characterize people by their social standing. For example, sophomores are kind of ignored (unless they're the cute girls they want to go out with), and the members of the Loyal Order are considered the top echelon of the student body. Everyone is treated differently and considered a different kind of person based on their rung on the social ladder.

Of course, Frankie and Porter both manage to turn this notion on its head at the end: Frankie by showing that she's fiercely independent and a troublemaker, and Porter by showing that just because he's a member of the Loyal Order doesn't mean he'll be loyal to the Order.