Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.: Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

Mom tells Margaret that the letter is on the table. Margaret never gets letters since she never writes anyone back, so this is a big deal. She runs to the letter, inspects the envelope, and wonders who sent it. She figures it’s an advertisement. But it turns out to be an invitation. Before opening it, she imagines who might want Margaret to come to a party. Finally, she opens it. It’s from Norman Fishbein. Margaret shouts. She and Norman never talk and he’s still a “drip,” but “a party is a party.”

Margaret races to Mom’s studio to ask if she can go. Mom wants to know who Norman is and if Margaret likes him, then she agrees to let Margaret go. When the phone rings, Margaret races to get it. It’s Nancy; she, Janie, and Gretchen have all been invited and are all going to go. The girls wonder if they should dress up, and Nancy says Mrs. Wheeler is going to call Mrs. Fishbein and find out. Ten minutes later, Nancy calls back and reveals that every kid in their class was invited—even Laura and Philip—and they should wear party clothes. Margaret runs to tell Mom the news, and they decide that Margaret should wear her best velvet dress.

Margaret spends the morning of the party on the phone with Nancy, Janie, and Gretchen discussing their outfits. Mom washes Margaret’s hair and puts it up in rollers—and she files Margaret’s nails instead of cutting them. Margaret has new nylon and lace underwear to wear. She spends the afternoon thinking that maybe Norman isn’t so bad after all.

Mom sends Margaret to rest so she’s fresh for the party, but Margaret doesn’t feel like napping. Instead, she pushes a chair in front of her mirror and then stands naked on the chair. She’s starting to grow some hair. Margaret studies herself from the side and then moves closer to the mirror. She doesn’t look any different than normal, aside from the rollers. She asks God if she hasn’t waited long enough to start growing and asks for some help.

Then, Margaret puts on her underwear and tights and tiptoes to the bathroom. Her heart pounds as she grabs a few cotton balls, even though she knows Mom wouldn’t think anything of it—but Margaret knows what she’s going to do with them. Back in her room, she stuffs three cotton balls into each side of her bra. It’s cheating, but she looks better—and there are probably lots of other girls who stuff their bras. She admires her reflection and likes what she sees. Margaret tells God that her bra looks better now, she just needs a bit of help. She promises to help out more around the house in exchange for some help.