Pretty Girls

Another recurring motif is family planning and motherhood. Lydia is the only one of the Carroll sisters who has a daughter, and she admits that her path to motherhood was thrust upon her. Claire similarly has no desire to become a mother, but Lydia thinks that Claire has become their own mother after years of Helen’s inattention.

By Claire becoming more independent from Paul, and by Lydia raising Dee mostly on her own and in secret, the sisters approach motherhood in unconventional ways that make them yearn for their extended family’s help. Moreover, as the women reconnect, their family ties strengthen to provide more attentive “mothering” to each other in times of distress. An example of this is Helen’s absolute support of Claire’s plan to track down Paul and save Lydia; her willingness to commit potentially illegal acts is evidence that she is finally prioritizing her motherly role toward Claire, a shift from her prior state as a mostly absent matriarch.

Wealth is a notable motif in the text, as Claire uses luxury goods to meet expectations, thereby deflecting attention away from herself. For example, Claire’s tennis dress, shoes, and racket are all luxury items that hint at a comfortable and wealthy life. Moreover, they are highly feminine, dainty accessories that fit society’s idea of a perfect woman, showing how Claire tries to meet gendered norms that appease current power structures. No one would expect a tiny, birdlike woman in a neat tennis skirt to kneecap a peer or light a house on fire, and so when Claire makes such wild actions, her motivations seem completely unexpected to external observers.

Of course, Claire’s easy elegance is a persona that helps her blend with the crowd so she can avoid being perceived and assessed. Acts that others perceive as wild are in truth deliberate, a demonstration of Claire’s long-repressed autonomy. And as Claire becomes more self-assured, she begins wielding these items with explosive force, like when she destroys her garage with her racket. Her break from the mold of perfection signifies that she is also preparing to break away from Paul’s control. Until she does break away, however, these trappings of wealth are necessary to meet the expectations of high society and the hyper-critical Paul.

Unlike society, Lydia sees through Claire’s façade. She immediately notices that Claire’s clothing is simple but very high end. Since Claire seems to only wear dainty tennis outfits, she has a vague association with The Mothers at Dee’s school, and Lydia sees Claire’s clothing as a visible defense mechanism: Claire is well dressed but not noticeable or grandiose.