Mclean (otherwise known as Lizbet, Eliza, Liz, and Beth) has a habit of creating new identities for herself every time she moves in What Happened to Goodbye. In Lakeview though, when she starts to figure out her identity, this time it's really based on who she is inside. What a concept, right?
But she's not the only one trying to figure out who she is in this book. Her mother is going through the same thing with her new identity as a rich basketball coach's wife, and her hunky next door neighbor, Dave, is trying to let go of his super academic brainiac reputation and just live life like a normal kid. So though McLean feels isolated because she doesn't know who she is, the reality is that she's surrounded by people struggling with the same questions.
Questions About Identity
- What's the deal with Mclean changing her whole persona (and name) every time she comes to a new town?
- How does Dave's identity shift when he starts going to public school? Do you think he's being fake by choosing new interests and friends?
- How has Mclean's mom changed since she married Peter Hamilton?
- What's the significance of Mclean going by her real name while she lives in Lakeview?
Chew on This
By going by her real name in Lakeview, Mclean allows other people to see her for who she really is—instead of as a fake persona that she creates—and in doing so, she gets to glimpse her real identity herself.
Dave may be going through some changes in his identity as an adolescent, but he's never deceitful about it in the same way that Mclean is. He's not trying to hide his true self from anyone—he's just trying to figure out who he really is beyond the influence of his parents.