“Don't worry about any of this stuff, okay? It's all just adult junk that doesn't mean anything.”
Throughout the story, Rose’s parents are arguing about their marriage but Rose cannot decipher the root of the problem. The arguments seem senseless to her because she does not know the depression her mother is undergoing after the miscarriage. Although she is unaware of the situation, she is growing up and is not as naive as her parents may think. Her mother holds back from informing her about the tragedy even after her friend’s advice. Similarly, her father also asserts the above statement dismissing her ability to understand the issue. This rift between parents and their children displays the frailties of communication during familial problems.
“It’s because you always have to have everything your way. You’re making everything sad.”
Alice is going through post-miscarriage depression that affects the emotional health of the entire household. Rather than enjoy the vacation she rejects every positive emotional stimulation because of her condition. This frustrates Rose because she cannot comprehend the source of her mother’s bitterness and sadness. This poor communication in the family causes more issues than it solves hence the members drift farther away from each other. The main argument is why Alice chooses to accompany them on the vacation yet she stays emotionally distant. However, solving depression is not as easy as deciding to be happy, which is Alice’s predicament.
“You don’t have to kiss someone to be a cheater. I bet she was. Cheating. So typical.”
As they grow up Rose and Windy develop their individual personalities that begin to clash repeatedly. In the case of the drama between Jenny and Dunc, the two girls take different sides in the dispute. Rose’s feelings for Dunc render her biased toward the situation blaming Jenny for her pregnancy. On the contrary, Windy defends Jenny since Dunc refuses to take responsibility for impregnating the teenage girl. This bias causes her to accuse the girl of cheating on the boyfriend which Windy disagrees with. The argument illustrates how they are growing apart and becoming individuals with differing opinions. Nonetheless, Rose fosters ideas of victim-blaming and slut-shaming which are problems in our society in these situations.
