Mr. Terupt Falls Again

Lexie’s clothes symbolize her desire to boost her insecurities by looking more mature. Lexie begins changing her appearance when she first meets Reena, Lisa, and Brandon. The older girls applaud her new, “sexy” outfits. Lisa says “Now, that’s hot” (84) when Lexie comes in wearing black yoga pants, a camouflage top, and a matching camo scrunchie, and Reena echoes this, calling the look “fresh.” Lexie craves this validation from Reena and Lisa because they are older, and she thinks they will also help her be seen as older too.

Another symbolic clothing item is the purple sweater Lexie wears when Mrs. Stern’s class visits. The sweater is notable mostly because Lexie stuffs her bra when she wears it. She does this to get attention from the boys, but they mock her when the tissue comes out of her bra. In the end, Lexie learns to value herself for who she is and stops trying to change her appearance: Peter likes her for her personality, and her mother becomes a more present figure in her life. These positive relationships help her feel the security she previously lacked and tried to compensate for with clothing.