Essay Questions

How does the reporting rule at foster tie into the themes of morality present throughout the book?

When questioned about Sally’s ear piercing business and why she didn’t report her, Liza tells Ms. Stevenson “I--I don't believe in the reporting rule because I think that by the time people are in Upper School they're--old enough to take responsibility for their own actions." This ties into the eventual discovery of Liza and Annie’s relationship, as well as Ms. Stevenson and Ms. Widmer’s. Foster’s morality as an institution and the morality of its students is constantly stressed by Mrs. Poindexter. Having attended the school for almost thirteen years, it makes sense that Liza is initially ashamed of her feelings for Annie, and struggles to express them. Once Liza and Annie are discovered by Ms. Baxter and Sally, Ms. Baxter laments that homosexuality has corrupted Liza, and that Liza’s lesbianism is the reason why Liza didn’t report Sally for piercings kids ears at the beginning of the novel. By contrasting something as insignificant as an ear piercing to something as powerful as love, Garden highlights the beauty one can find in love, and the importance of rejecting draconian rules.

What symbolism is seen in Liza and Annie’s second meeting at the cloisters?

The second time Liza and Annie meet is at the cloisters the Met Cloisters (better known as "the Cloisters"), a museum that specializes in medieval architecture and art. Located in Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights, a neighborhood in upper Manhattan, visiting the cloisters requires Liza to pass over a body of water, invoking the idiom “sea-change,” which used to denote change in a literary character that is somehow brought about by water. Furthermore, far away from Liza’s home, she is able to escape societal pressures with Annie, as Liza pretends to be a knight and Annie pretends to be a damsel in distress. By playing a man, Liza assumes a “butch” role, leading to Liza and Annie mimicking a butch/femme relationship. Playing into this dynamic further, Annie offers Liza a sprig of lavender. Lavender refers to the "Lavender Menace," a feminist group that fought for Lesbian liberation in 1970s America.

How does loneliness appear in Annie on My Mind?

Loneliness is an ever present theme in Annie on My Mind. Liza begins the books feeling slightly out of step with life-- somewhat different, but in a way she can’t identify. Annie however is plagued by loneliness as she has no friends at school and lives in a less desirable neighborhood. However, their definition of loneliness changes once Liza and Annie meet and fall in love. Suddenly, loneliness is being without each other, and being physically alone with each other is one of the most important- and most difficult- things.