Smile: A Graphic Novel

A child’s first friends are usually those of circumstance: They are in the same class or club. Raina would likely grow apart from her Girl Scout friends as her interests evolved in a different direction, but it is difficult to leave the only people you know.

Initially, Raina’s dental issues are not what make her fall to the bottom of the group’s social order. Instead, her friends give her advice that attacks her appearance, such as her childish ponytails or boyish Bart Simpson T-shirt. Raina is aware that this is peer pressure but changes her habits anyways to fit in. She even convinces her mother to let her get piercings early.

These changes do not mean anything as the friends’ target shifts to her uptight attitude and crushes. Raina often complains about her appearance due to the stress of her operations. The teasing of her romantic interests is also contradictory: Stooping to a sixth grader like Sammy is embarrassing, but pining for a cool athlete like Sean is grounds for a mean prank.

The birthday makeover breaks Raina’s trust in her friends not only because of the premeditation—they go out of their way to get club clothes—but also because they lie to her about their intent and dismiss her feelings afterward. While the pantsing confirms the group’s toxicity, Raina is already so set on leaving the group that she refuses to see them at her middle-school graduation. When Raina finds Theresa, who admires her artistic talents and does not care about her appearance, she rebuilds her confidence and realizes how this confidence improves her relationship with herself and others. 

Middle school is a time of physical change and awakened romantic feelings, and there is pressure on girls to behave in a mature manner. On the first day of seventh grade, Melissa is disgusted at the sight of the sixth graders whom she was close with just a few months ago. As the years proceed, the girls go through puberty and start to hang out with guys.

On the surface, Raina is no different. She rushes to get her ears pierced, and she makes a visit to her old friend, Jane, to whom she complains about guys. However, Raina is still a child at heart in many ways. She still enjoys art, cartoons, and video games at a time when the other girls are veering away from them. In addition, she continues to participate in the Girl Scouts as a camp counselor.

Raina also has an idealized view of love that can be both mature and immature. She declines her turn in Spin the Bottle to preserve the sanctity of her first kiss for “the perfect guy” (162). This is a responsible mentality, but in her complaints about boy troubles, she ignores that many boys do like her—she just feels that they are gross and imperfect. She also lets her friendship with Sammy implode because she cannot bring herself to let him down. At the Valentine’s Day dance, Raina leaves without entering because she knows if she went, her first dance and confession of love would not be with her dream guy.

Raina’s friends, most of whom grow noticeably taller than her, also see her as immature, though their definition of maturity largely concerns appearance and willingness to handle pranks. Emily regularly critiques Raina’s looks, and their conversations topics switch from cartoons to pimples and dieting. The friends also exploit Raina’s crush on Sean with the makeover prank, dressing Raina up as a club goer, a parody of maturity. Even though she is embarrassed, Raina still wonders “if Sean really would notice me if I dressed differently” (141).

In contrast, Theresa, who is even shorter than Raina, turns out to be the most mature person Raina meets in school. She goes out of her way to talk with Raina, invites her into her friend group, and makes her feel better about her teeth. Amid the pressure to grow up, Theresa helps Raina embrace the “immature” aspects that make her feel happy.