Character Clues

Character Analysis

Family Life

The characters in What Happens to Goodbye are extremely influenced by their families, even if they aren't close to them. Just look at Mclean—she doesn't want anything to do with her mom (who doesn't even live in the same town)… and yet she's constantly thinking about her. Not only that, but her parents' divorce has had a huge influence on her life, impacting how she connects to other people (as little as she can), and how she thinks about relationships. Her inability to shake her family's influence, though, clues us into the fact that—deep down—she really is a loving person.

And she's not the only character whose family offers keys for understanding them—even Dave, whose parents are still in a stable, happy marriage, struggles with their desire for him to stay on the straight-and-narrow boy genius path. He's lived his whole life according to his parents' exacting standards, so when he tries to break out of that mold and do normal teenage activities, he feels guilty and trapped because his parents react so negatively. His relationship with his family, in other words, reveals how conflicted he is about who he wants to be in the world.

Can you think of other examples of family revealing truth about characters?

Actions

Mclean doesn't choose her friends based on how cool they are, or what clothes they wear, or which esoteric writers they discuss. No—instead she chooses based off of how goodhearted they are. For a girl who doesn't reveal a whole lot about herself through words, it makes sense that she'd focus on actions when it comes to selecting who to surround herself with—and since she's our narrator, actions offer us key insights into the people she encounters.

Deb becomes her friend because she's willing to help anyone in need—even if she hardly knows them. For instance, she drives Mclean to the hospital to see her dad in a heartbeat. Riley becomes Mclean's friend because she takes her to the nurse's office and confides in her, while Dave proves himself to be the best friend and romantic interest ever when he makes sure to watch out for Mclean, nudges her to stay in Lakeview, and alters the town model so that she knows just how much she's treasured here.

And that doesn't just apply to Mclean's friend group. Nope—it applies to the adults of the story as well. Even though Mclean thinks that her mom is an evil, heartless witch at the beginning, she soon comes to understand that through her actions, her mom is saying that she's sorry and that she wants to make amends. It may be hard for her to say those words aloud, but in constantly checking in on her daughter and including Mclean in her new life, Mclean's mom is apologizing. Looks like these two might have more in common than Mclean realizes.