The Girls

Through Suzanne and Russell’s influence, Evie discovers the power of her sexuality. She easily takes advantage of Timmy because she recognizes his attraction to her. Timmy’s attraction to Evie gives her power, which she abuses. This act signals a loss of innocence. Evie now knows how to read the signs of a man’s attraction to her, and she knows that she can use it to her own advantage. Though this power gives Evie confidence, it also highlights that she’s internalizing how Russell uses sex and seduction to manipulate people. Russell and Suzanne both use sex—the potential of it and the reality of it—to engage Evie into their group. Without critically reflecting on this sexual coercion or connection, Evie replicates cycles of using sexuality against others. The use of sexual coercion and abuse develops the theme of Manipulation and Power Dynamics.

Another example of Evie’s loss of innocence is seen in her relationship with her mother. Evie feels rejected by her mother, pushed aside for Frank. This perception of rejection keeps Evie tied to Suzanne and Russell. Even though she feels more like a family with the girls at the ranch than she does with her mother, there are signs that her mother cares about Evie and simply doesn’t know what Evie is going through. Evie’s mother willfully accepts the idea that Evie is spending so much time with Connie; Evie’s mother ignores the warning signs that Evie is spending time with people who are a bad influence on her. She notices that Evie is getting thinner, more withdrawn, and is likely stealing from her. But Evie’s mother doesn’t dig into Evie’s problems because she doesn’t want to push Evie further away. Evie believes that life at the ranch is freedom from her mother’s control, but her mother doesn’t try to control her. If anything, subconsciously Evie needs and wants more structure and attention from her mother. Evie’s desire for independence highlights the themes of The Perils Teenage Girls Face and Social Disillusionment.

Evie starts stealing from her mother to contribute to the commune’s expenses, and this theft is literal as well as metaphorical. Metaphorically, Evie stealing from her mother represents Evie’s disconnection from her family’s moral codes and her desire to destroy the home she’s been raised in. It also highlights how desperate Evie is to be considered a contributor to the ranch. Evie would rather betray and abandon her mother than risk losing Suzanne’s or Russell’s appreciation. This dynamic presents another conflict: If Evie’s appreciation on the ranch is born out of her providing them with money, then they don’t appreciate her for who she is, as she mistakenly believes. Because Evie is young and inexperienced, she misinterprets her mother’s distance as abandonment and Suzanne’s proximity as love.

Evie’s theft from her mother is one thing, but smaller, petty crimes can and do escalate into larger crimes. For example, Suzanne has become so accustomed to stealing from people that her criminal behavior escalates into breaking into people’s home just to mess with their belongings. Evie is in danger of losing all morality, even if she excuses stealing from her mother as a non-issue because her mother would give her the money anyway.

An important development in these chapters is that the more time Evie spends at the ranch, the clearer it becomes that Evie’s attraction to the ranch is an extension of her attraction to Suzanne since first seeing her in the park. Evie and Russell engage in sexual acts, but not intercourse. Through sexual acts, Evie officially becomes one of Russell’s girls. Although Evie likes these sexual encounters with Russell, she’s constantly checking to see if Suzanne is jealous or admiring the attention Russell pays to Evie. Because Suzanne reacts jealously, it’s clear that the free-love ideals of the ranch are easier said than practiced. The girls do feel competitive with one another over Russell’s attentions, which demonstrates that “[t]he communes ended up recreating some of the paternalistic dynamics” that their members had sought to escape in the outside world (Ramm). Russell’s preaching about the lack of possession of loved ones is a farce. Russell gets the most of out of this situation. He has multiple girls and even some men who do his dirty work and keep up the ranch while he enjoys sexual contact with as many girls as he wants, including those under the age of consent, such as Evie and Caroline, who is even younger than Evie. No one thinks to question Russell’s supremacy on the ranch. Instead, they all live under the illusion that the ranch offers equality and free love.

Evie cares less about Russell than she does Suzanne. She is not as besotted by Russell as the other girls are and is much more concerned about how Suzanne sees her. She wants Suzanne’s approval, respect, and love. This infatuation culminates with a bizarre experience with Mitch, in which Suzanne and Evie have sex while he watches. Evie is fulfilled by sex with Suzanne, but Suzanne doesn’t reciprocate her love. Instead, Suzanne sees their night with Mitch as harmless fun and keeps Evie at a distance. Evie loves Suzanne so much that even though she feels betrayed by Suzanne after the situation with Mitch, she still wants Suzanne and doesn’t pursue the issue with her. Sex with Mitch is detrimental to Evie’s identity crisis. She is not attracted to him and doesn’t want to have sex with him, and sex with Mitch is her first time having intercourse. Mitch’s using Evie for sex in a situation clearly orchestrated by Russell for his own benefit is a serious violation. Even though Evie was deeply embarrassed by the experience with Mitch, she pushes these negative thoughts away because she doesn’t want to lose the sense of self she’s developing at the ranch. Russell uses the girls to get what he wants—from Mitch, Russell wants fame. While Suzanne sees her role as Russell’s sexual favor to Mitch, Evie doesn’t see herself that way. There is a separation between Evie and Suzanne in this regard; Suzanne is committed to Russell in ways that Evie simply is not because she’s more consumed by her attraction to Suzanne, which is sexual and emotional. This development emphasizes the themes of The Perils Teenage Girls Face as well as Manipulation and Power Dynamics.

Cline uses foreshadowing and flashforwards to escalate tension in the novel. For example, when Evie tells the story of her night with Suzanne at Mitch’s house, she references the future murder that will occur in the house. This directly communicates to the reader that something sinister will happen. It foreshadows violence and destruction. The foreshadowing and narration that take place in both the present and the future increase tension and conflict.