Pink (Motif)
Pink symbolizes conventional femininity, and the rigidly imposed rules that The Plastics put in place to express it. The Plastics wear pink on Wednesdays, forcing Cady to borrow Damian's extra-large pink shirt. Regina's mom's clothes are all pink, and Regina's bedroom is draped in red and pink hues. Toward the end of the film, when she becomes a Plastic, Cady begins wearing more pink as well (such as the dress she wears at her house party, which contains a thick pink stripe). The prevalence of the color pink represents the way in which gender expectations begin to take precedence over Cady's individuality.
Math (motif)
Math is a motif that reveals how high school social logic often runs contrary to developing one's intellect and character. Damian and The Plastics discourage Cady from pursuing the math team, and the only student to encourage her is an awkward student named Kevin. Cady in fact conceals her own intelligence in order to make herself more likable to Aaron and The Plastics. Cady's revival of interest in math and participation in the math tournament at the end of the film signifies a larger decision on her part to concentrate on developing herself into a mature, intelligent individual.
Burn Book (symbol)
The Burn Book is a symbol of all the animosity that the junior girls at North Shore High harbor toward one another. It contains a page and photo for each student, becoming almost like an evil counterpart to a normal yearbook. The Burn Book becoming public essentially dramatizes what would happen if everyone simultaneously learned what everyone else was saying behind their back: total chaos. The Burn Book is also a symbol of deceit, given that Regina turns it in despite the fact that it is hers, and causes Ms. Norbury to force the girls to write apologies.
Royalty (allegory)
Damian calls The Plastics "teen royalty," and Regina is referred to as the "queen bee." Comparing The Plastics to a royal monarchy conveys the fact that they form an exclusive clique that essentially lords their superiority over the rest of the school. Damian notes that Regina always wins Spring Fling Queen, and Regina has the word "PRINCESS" printed above her bed. The fact that Cady wins Spring Fling Queen, breaking the tiara instead of accepting it, means that the line of succession has been disrupted. At the end of the film, Cady, Janis, and Damian remain on the lookout for "junior Plastics" who might revive the royal hierarchy of The Plastics.
Queerness (motif)
Janis introduces Damian as being "almost too gay to function," and Regina tells Cady that she suspected that Janis had a "lesbian" crush on her. Although never explicitly stated, the film implies that Janis and Damian are outsiders at school because they are unlike the heteronormative students around them, expressing their gender and sexuality in non-conforming ways. Damian has posters of Madonna and Mariah Carey in his bedroom, and performs "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera at the Winter Talent Show. Janis is coarse and brash, wearing mostly black and refusing to abide by typical fashion norms. Although they are social outcasts, Janis and Damian have the film's strongest friendship—one that Cady returns to and learns from at the end of the film.
