Unfriended

“I might as well have fallen through a trapdoor. Or never existed at all.”

When Truly leaves with Natasha, Hazel feels abandoned, and she uses figurative language to highlight the intensity of her loss. The quote also reveals that Hazel isn’t jealous of Truly. She doesn’t want to be popular: She wants to stay best friends with Truly.

“??? ugh so bored nothing to do.”

Vail conveys the story in multiple ways. Aside from prose, the novel uses text messages, letters, social media posts, and lists. Clay’s list provides insight into his personality. He’s introspective and aware that he doesn’t work as hard as he could. The diction and syntax mimic how a young person might compose a list. The three question marks and lack of capital letters indicate that they aren’t always concerned with proper grammar.

“I think she worries that popular girls are all secretly mean. I explained that the girls who sit at the Popular Table are actually the nicest girls in the whole eighth grade. Things were probably different when Mom was my age and it was called junior high school. I’ve seen some of those movies—it’s awful.”

Truly’s quote subverts typical tropes about popular girls. Brooke and her friends aren’t mean but kind. The “movies” alludes to past representations of popular girls. Many movies present them as manipulative and unkind. These movies include Mean Girls (2004), which is based on Rosalind Wiseman’s sociological study of girl friendship groups in school, Queen Bees and Wannabes (2002). Other movies include Heathers (1989) and Cruel Intentions (1999).

“The whole *tragedy* with Truly’s freak friend Hazel is soooo brain-crushinglyyyyy dullllllll. Nobody wants to hear it anymore HELLO!”

As with Clay’s list, Natasha’s depiction of Truly and Hazel’s conflicts mimics how a young person might write. The multiple “y” uses and “l” uses, the all-capitals “hello,” and the asterisks around “tragedy” reinforce Natasha’s exasperation with Truly and her lack of concern for Truly’s feelings. Yet Natasha isn’t aware that Hazel and Truly’s row will directly impact her. Thus, the quote works as foreshadowing.

“Every time I try something more interesting with my hair than just wearing it flopped down around my face, it feels like I’m in some sort of costume.”

Truly doesn’t have a settled personality or style, and her uncertainty exacerbates her precarity. As she doesn’t know who she is, people can exploit her and push her in different directions. The quote also relates to the potential harm of social media. If someone feels they’re in a “costume,” they might not be ready for the public scrutiny that often comes with social media usage.

“Everyone in Brooke’s whole family has big happy smiles and dimples in their cheeks. They’re all perfect.”

The word “perfect” occurs often in the novel. Natasha thinks Truly has a “perfect” family life, and in this quote, Truly believes Brooks has a “perfect” family life. The repetition of the term indicates that the characters are compounding their shortcomings by presenting others as having no flaws whatsoever. The truth is neither Brooke nor Truly is perfect. Brooke has many issues, including her parents, who recently had to sell their bookstore. Challenging perfection also helps in Demystifying Popularity.

“I told them: mesquite wood-smoked turkey, aged sharp Adirondack cheddar (one slice), deseeded cucumbers, sliced grape tomatoes, one roasted red pepper marinated in olive oil and capers overnight, cracked black pepper, and Dijon mustard.”

Jack provides the table with a graphic summation of his turkey sandwich. The nuanced diction reveals his deep interest in food and eating healthily. He pays careful attention to his diet; thus, he doesn’t put cucumbers on his sandwich but “deseeded cumbers,” and the sandwich doesn’t contain general cheese but “sharp Adirondack cheddar.” Jack appears to gain a sense of larger control from the simple act of controlling his food.

“Sweet Pea was sort of a series of birds.”

Hazel seems genuinely upset about the death of her bird. However, the scene is also comedic due to the extensive effort of Hazel’s parents to avoid the topic of death. Instead of telling her that her birds have died, they buy her new ones so she believes she’s had the same bird, Sweet Pea, all along.

“I have to admit I was nauseated when I read that email. It was the one about Henry and Molly. You must know the one I mean. I knew Natasha was awful but I was unprepared for that level of despicableness.”

The multiple narrators keep the reader informed. The characters often don’t know what’s going on or who’s responsible for what, but the reader does. However, the text never shows the reader Natasha’s email, so the reader must trust Hazel. While she might not be an impartial judge because she cares about Truly’s family, the omission of the actual letter can be read as the danger of sharing harmful information and inadvertently promoting cruelty. The specifics of Natasha’s email don’t matter as much as the overall agreement that speaking irresponsibly about people with illnesses or disabilities is unacceptable, leading to Natasha’s banishment.

“You think you’re going to act like that, all conniving and passive-aggressively abusive, and then still have friends when the day is done? No. Just, no.”

“You think you’re going to act like that, all conniving and passive-aggressively abusive, and then still have friends when the day is done? No. Just, no.”

“They’re in some fight, the girls, and they didn’t want her over. None of my business, whatever. They’re always in a fight and then crying and hugging and then not talking to each other and then hugging it out again.”

Clay’s presentation of the popular girls reinforces problematic gender norms. It portrays them as stereotypically overemotional and combative. Clay and Jack don’t play key roles in the conflict, so the boys look sober and reasonable, but the challenges they face regarding identity can be seen as isolation from help. Brooke, for example, helps Clay to focus less on his brother’s success, suggesting that there is a balance to sharing one’s problems with friends.

“When Mom stopped being friends with Truly’s mom, she just avoided her. But how am I supposed to deal? I am still in a History Day group with all my ex-friends. I still sit next to them in assigned seats in class. I can’t escape, ever.”

Natasha’s quote illustrates how the school environment magnifies conflicts. Adults, like the mothers of Truly and Natasha, don’t have to share the same space if they have a conflict or falling out. Young people, however, must continue to see each other at their schools, even if they have an intense row. The confining attributes of school intensify Natasha’s feelings and the overall drama.

“[W]e passed Big Pond. It freezes over in the winter sometimes, but a few years ago some kids went out to mess around on the ice and fell through because it wasn’t solid enough yet, so they had to get rescued.”

Big Pond’s backstory turns the pond into a symbol of precarity. Kids fell into it and had to go to the hospital. The historical detail foreshadows Truly’s visit to Big Pond. Distraught by Natasha’s suggestive directive, Truly goes to Big Pond, suggesting that Truly might harm herself. Instead, Truly “rescues” herself by tossing her phone into the pond.

“In cyberspace, of course, each minute feels like forever. Refresh, refresh, somebody respond! Come on!”

Hazel sees Natasha’s post on tellmethetruth.com and presumes that Natasha is anxiously waiting for people to reply. The repetition of “refresh” and the exclamation points shows how social media and the internet exploit a need for instant gratification and immediate feedback. Waiting for someone to respond to a post can feel like “forever.” This quote illustrates The Harmful Impact of Digital Communication.

“You’re smart, Clay. You’re just scared. You think your brother is like the Second Coming, but he’s just a guy. Why are you so in love with him?”

Brooke’s evaluation of Clay’s relationship with his brother makes Clay come across as somewhat impulsively emotional and irrational. Instead of idolizing a popular person, Clay turns his brother into a god. Yet Clay’s brother is a person, just like the popular crowd comprises young people.

“I had been denying it to myself, all this time, the awfulness of what I’d done […] But the truth is I just basically dumped [Hazel] for a better offer.”

Truly admits that her motives for joining the popular crowd might be about more than hanging out with “nice” young people. She’s aware that the popular crowd is at the top of the social hierarchy and represents a “better offer.” Put another way, Truly concedes the transactional aspects of her choice.

“‘Slut,’ Lulu whispered toward Truly as we passed her flirting with Clay, who is fully just a friend and never will be anything more to me ever.”

Lulu demonstrates the limits of kindness. In the popular crowd, people must be nice, but if someone else is mean (allegedly or otherwise), then it’s fine to be mean to them. As Lulu thinks Truly is cyberbullying Natasha and flirting with Clay to make Brooke jealous, she calls Truly a “slut” and faces no repercussions. Demonstrating inclusive gender norms, in Chapter 40, Clay thinks Lulu directed the insult at him.

“There’s an amazing world out there, Tash, and you guys are all hunkered down, squabbling about your little nothing troubles.”

Marilicia tries to give Natasha a sense of perspective and to dislodge her from her fixation on the popular crowd and their conflicts. The quote suggests that the conflicts between Natasha, Hazel, Truly, and the popular girls are not on par with Benedict Arnold. Rather, the girls distort their “troubles” to make them seem more substantial than they are. In the bigger picture, their drama is “nothing.”

“I kept noticing Truly’s attempts at bravery: sad smiles, head held high, hard swallows before giving answers in class. And each time it broke my heart a little.”

Hazel’s imagery of Truly reinforces her vulnerable but persistent condition. The diction—“broke my heart a little”—reveals that Hazel doesn’t genuinely hate Truly. She doesn’t want irrevocable harm for her. Hazel retains compassion for her former best friend.

“Although I love her, my grandmother is a loathsome woman […] I can see her flaws, I’ve realized, and yet have some compassion for her nevertheless.”

Hazel uses her grandmother to teach Brooke about “compassion.” Though Hazel’s grandmother is problematic, Hazel still loves her. The quote suggests caring people express concern for almost everyone, even people who don’t come across as particularly kind or good.

“Did you see how pale she looked, and, like, haunted? Everybody needs to take a step back, don’t you think? Ease up on her? Stop spreading lies about her?”

Brooke’s image of Truly demonstrates the lingering impact of social media and digital communication. What happens in these exchanges and platforms can stay with a person, even when they’re not interacting with them. Similar to ghosts, they “haunt” them. The series of question marks reveals that Brooke doesn’t realize her power. As the most popular girl in school, she can get people to “step back” and “ease up” on Truly.

“Don’t think. Don’t feel. Don’t decide anything. Just walk.”

The repetition of “don’t” reinforces Truly’s haunted state. Beset by the conflicts, Truly can’t think about them or admit that they continue to hurt her feelings—that’ll only worsen her condition. The “don’t decide anything” indicates that Truly is considering hurting herself. Aware that self-harm isn’t a healthy choice, she vows not to commit to trying to injure herself.

“People say a lot of stupid and untrue stuff. What are you gonna do?”

Jack’s question adds another perspective on the impact of social media. People don’t need social media to say unthoughtful things or spread lies. They’ve always been doing that. However, social media and digital communication can rapidly circulate falsehood and toxicity, making it much easier to tarnish and hurt a person.