Tibby

Character Analysis

Tibby is the only member of the Sisterhood stuck at home for the summer, and while her friends are frolicking in Mexico and Greece and South Carolina, she's stuck working at Wallman's Drug Store. Why did she draw the short straw? 

The Fragile Radical 

Tibby is the rebel. Well, sort of. It's what she pretends to be anyway. Sporting a nose ring and "dilapidated brown cargo pants" (1.38), Tibby wants people to think she's tough—her theory is that if she looks like she doesn't care, people will have low expectations. And this way, Tibby never has to worry about letting others down. 

Taking a closer look at Tibby though, it's easy to see her vulnerability. First of all, she's just a tiny little thing—she has a small frame, flat stomach and "little darts for breasts" (2.14). And underneath her cynicism, she really does care. She wants cute boys, like Tucker Rowe, to notice her, after all, and she is majorly bummed when her boss (falsely) accuses her of stealing. Yup—below this tiny girl's tough exterior is someone who cares a whole heckofa lot about what other folks think of her. 

And then, of course, there is her relationship with Bailey. Though both girls maintain sarcastic exteriors, Bailey pulls out Tibby's tender side, too, and as she supports Bailey as she dies, it becomes explicitly clear that Tibby has a heart of gold wrapped up in a ragged and feisty little package. 

Judge and Jury 

Speaking of first impressions—Tibby is both the queen of quick judgment and not so great at considering her own hypocrisy. For instance, she is grossed out by her co-worker's long fingernails, but never considers the fact that her own fingers feature "chewed-up" (3.37) nails. Oops. 

And when Bailey tries to be her friend, Tibby really isn't in the mood—she thinks Bailey is "tragic and pathetic" (7.42) and doesn't want to spend her time with an "obnoxious little kid" (9.49). Funny, right? People could say the same about Tibby. Bailey encourages her to look in the mirror, and realize that she judges others just as much as they judge her.

Salt and Pepper Shakers 

Tibby longs for the good old days. Her parents had her when they were only nineteen, so they all sort of grew up together as a family—and even though she was "kind of like their experiment" (11.54), life was simple. She and her parents used to "tent in Portugal" (11.50)—no worries, and no problems. But not anymore. 

Now life is complicated. Tibby's parents upgraded their trailer to a home with stuff (and babies); their "Mexican candles" (8.7) were replaced with items bought from Pottery Barn. Plus there is no time anymore, since these days her parents are busy with demanding careers and raising Tibby's two younger siblings. Tibby realizes that more isn't necessarily better. 

So for Tibby, home isn't all that great. And for someone who is supposed to be tough, she feels sorry for herself. Her mother has no time for her, so why even bother telling her about Bailey? Her mother is too busy with howling babies to care. And by the way, don't even think about asking Tibby for help around the house—Tibby and her sarcasm are not interested because it's not "like Tibby had decided to have these kids with her" (8.10). Although, of course, lending a hand here and there just might free some of Mom's precious time up for things like, say, listening to her eldest daughter. 

Life is a Suckumentary 

In an effort to share the "lameness" (3.34) of her summer, Tibby is creating a suckumentary—which is just what it sounds like: a documentary of all the things in Tibby's life that suck. Well, mostly just the people that suck. It's Tibby's way of coping during her "summer of discontent" (3.34). Perhaps this project will make her less miserable—and if nothing else, she thinks it might be kind of neat to make fun of others. 

But the joke's on her, because while Tibby thinks the video illustrates everyone else's "lameness" (3.34), Bailey uses the video to show Tibby her own faults. As their friendship grows, Bailey wants Tibby to see people as she sees them. Not everyone is a loser, and in fact, some people—like Brian McBrian and Angela (with the long finger nails)—are pretty cool. 

Tibby's Mini Me 

From the moment Bailey meets Tibby, she feels drawn to her. Maybe it's because they both like "to test people" (7.24). Who knows? But Bailey wants desperately to be Tibby's friend—she's dying, remember, so she doesn't exactly have all the time in the world—and they end up bonding while working on the suckumentary. Bailey drinks up all of the Sisterhood gossip, and as her mom states at one point, this is the best time of Bailey's life. 

This isn't exactly the happiest Tibby has ever been—she's stuck home while the rest of her Sisterhood adventures around the world—but her summer with Bailey ends up being a turning point for her, because not only does she make a really great friend, but Bailey helps Tibby put her life in perspective. So while Tibby feels as if she is "dying a slow death a Wallman's" (6.1), in actuality, her life is pretty good. And while Bailey and Tibby enjoy each other's sarcasm, Bailey encourages Tibby to let go of some of her cynicism and to trust that people aren't all bad. 

Life of a Guinea Pig 

Mimi, Tibby's guinea pig, is so lucky—she can spin on her exercise wheel and live a carefree life, "no decisions, no disappointments" (2.2). Mimi's life isn't "big" (2.1) and busy like Tibby's. 

Tibby longs to live the life of her guinea pig, snuggling in wood shavings all day, and when Bailey's condition worsens, Tibby creates her own cage by cutting herself off from the world. We're talking no phone calls, and no hair washing. 

And then, when Mimi dies, Tibby preserves her pet in the freezer, avoiding Mimi's death just like she is avoiding Bailey's. When she finally forces herself to say good-bye, she buries her pet next to her dear friend—but part of her is tempted to crawl in the ground with both of them. She's letting go of what she's lost, but she definitely doesn't make it look easy (which it isn't, but Tibby has an extra hard time). But life is for the living—Bailey taught Tibby that—and "she promised Bailey she would keep playing" (24.79), so that's exactly what she does. 

Tibby and the Pants 

Carmen owns the Pants, but it's Tibby's idea to share them. The girls are ditching her, so Tibby demands "a little display of unconditional love" (1.27). They owe her that, right? The girls humor Tibby, and if you've been paying attention, you know the rest. (If not, just check out the "Summary" section—we've got your back.) 

When it's Tibby's turn in the Pants, she softens. She looks feminine, "like a girl" (1.44)—but then again, anything is probably better than the Wallman's polyester smock. The Pants give her more than just a shapely figure though—they give Tibby courage. When she finally shows up at the hospital, Bailey notices the Pants. "I needed help," Tibby explains (22.43), and the Pants did the trick, rooting her in her old group of friends and helping her find the strength to say goodbye to her new one.