Lexie Richardson Character Analysis in Little Fires Everywhere

The eldest of the Richardson children and the most like her mother, Lexie is a smart and sensitive “girl’s girl” who dreams alternately of escaping to Yale and remaining in Shaker Heights to raise a family. Lexie is deemed “baby crazy” by her brother Trip and, ultimately, by her boyfriend Brian—and her obsession with babies is brought on when she meets May Ling Chow. Lexie and Pearl become close after Moody brings Pearl into the Richardson home, and soon Lexie is dependent on Pearl for guidance. Pearl writes Lexie’s college application essay and accompanies her to a women’s clinic when Lexie becomes pregnant and decides to have an abortion. Lexie uses Pearl’s name as her own at the clinic, unknowingly setting up a dangerous and devastating time bomb which will impact her own family and Pearl’s when Mrs. Richardson, combing through the clinic’s records for research in the Chow/McCullough case, discovers Pearl’s name in the appointment records.

Lexie Richardson Quotes in Little Fires Everywhere

The Little Fires Everywhere quotes below are all either spoken by Lexie Richardson or refer to Lexie Richardson. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“The firemen said there were little fires everywhere,” Lexie said. “Multiple points of origin. Possible use of accelerant. Not an accident.”

Related Characters: Lexie Richardson (speaker), Izzy Richardson

Related Symbols: Fire

Page Number and Citation: 7

Explanation and Analysis:

“Listen to this dumbass question,” [Lexie] groaned, fishing the application from her bag. “Rewrite a famous story from a different perspective. For example, retell The Wizard of Oz from the point of view of the Wicked Witch.”
“How about a fairy tale,” Moody suggested. “‘Cinderella’ from the point of view of the stepsisters.”
“‘Little Red Riding Hood’ as told by the wolf,” Pearl suggested.
“Or ‘Rumplestiltskin,’” Lexie mused. “That miller’s daughter cheated him. He did all that spinning for her and she said she’d give him her baby and then she reneged. Maybe she’s the villain here. She shouldn’t have agreed to give up her baby in the first place, if she didn’t want to.”
“Well,” Mia put in suddenly. “Maybe she didn’t know what she was giving up. Maybe once she saw the baby she changed her mind. Don’t be too quick to judge.”

Related Characters: Mia Warren (speaker), Pearl Warren (speaker), Moody Richardson (speaker), Lexie Richardson (speaker), Bebe Chow, Linda and Mark McCullough

Page Number and Citation: 54-55

Explanation and Analysis:

“You see now,” Moody said. “What they’re like.”

Related Characters: Moody Richardson (speaker), Pearl Warren, Trip Richardson, Lexie Richardson

Page Number and Citation: 64

Explanation and Analysis:

Since the visit to the clinic, Pearl had felt a strange sense of reversal: as if, while she and Lexie slept under the same roof, Lexie had somehow taken her place and she’d taken Lexie’s and they had not quite disentangled.

Related Characters: Pearl Warren (speaker), Lexie Richardson

Page Number and Citation: 270

Explanation and Analysis:

Lexie Richardson Character Timeline in Little Fires Everywhere

The timeline below shows where the character Lexie Richardson appears in Little Fires Everywhere. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...realizing that her husband had probably gone in to work early and her eldest daughter, Lexie, had spent the night at her best friend Serena Wong’s house. Alone on the lawn,... (full context)

Identity: Heritage, Assimilation, and Transience Theme Icon

...shell” remains. All of the Richardson children, except for Izzy, have gathered on the lawn. Lexie had been awakened by a phone call from her mother after staying up late arguing... (full context)

Moody then suggests it could have been an accident, but Lexie argues that “the firemen said there were little fires everywhere. Multiple points of origin. Not... (full context)

...is a journalist for the local newspaper. The Richardsons “kn[o]w important people” and the even Lexie and Trip have a “sureness” about them. Pearl wonders where their “ease come[s] from.” (full context)

...program voyeuristically and with great fascination, as if it is “a psychological study” or “anthropology.” Lexie and Trip joke that their younger sister Izzy, who doesn’t enjoy watching the show, will... (full context)

Lexie asks Pearl, in the middle of another Jerry Springer episode—this time, about paternity—who her real... (full context)

Lexie begins to take a shine to Pearl, though both Lexie and Lexie’s friend Serena note... (full context)

...being bored by everything at the mall, and thinking everything looks “the same,” Pearl directs Lexie to the local thrift shop, where she teaches Lexie how to shop for deals, switch... (full context)

...cleaned, and the children are told to stay out of the house during the day. Lexie invites herself over to Pearl’s house, and though Pearl is reluctant to have visitors, she... (full context)

Lexie describes her frustration with college applications—her boyfriend Brian is applying to Princeton, where his parents... (full context)

Pearl offers to write Lexie’s application essay for her, and Lexie is overjoyed. Moody seems irritated by what he perceives... (full context)

Pearl completes Lexie’s essay within a week. Both Mia and Moody are “uneasy” that Lexie has wrangled this... (full context)

...they will spend the following weekend together. Since a costume for the party is required, Lexie suggests that she, Pearl, and Serena go together as Charlie’s Angels. The party is full... (full context)

Lexie is having a great night grinding with Serena on the dance floor. Her boyfriend Brian... (full context)

...in the morning, and the Richardson children “creep home” in the middle of the night. Lexie feels different, and afterwards looks different to Pearl, who feels that everything Lexie does from... (full context)

...does the “exact reverse,” accompanying Moody home to lounge in the living room with him, Lexie, and Trip. Pearl is “grateful” to Izzy for absorbing her mother’s attention, and happy to... (full context)

...the museum. Their classmates tease them about having stayed behind together. After school, they convince Lexie to drive them back to the museum, where the three of them more or less... (full context)

Lexie drives Pearl and Moody back to the Richardson house, where Mia is preparing the Richardsons’... (full context)

...they married that she wanted to have a large family, and he agreed. After having Lexie, Trip, and Moody, Mrs. Richardson pushed for one more, and Mr. Richardson again agreed. After... (full context)

...left at a fire station. By that afternoon the baby—originally named May Ling—was theirs. While Lexie and her mother gush over the baby, Izzy needles Mrs. McCullough for having assigned May... (full context)

Moody and Trip remark on Lexie’s obsession with the baby. Moody teases Trip about the “dozens of girls” who are going... (full context)

On Monday, when Mia arrives to prepare dinner, Lexie continues to gush about May Ling. She tells Mia the “mirac[ulous]” story of how the... (full context)

Lexie is admitted to Yale and, to celebrate, Mrs. Richardson offers to take Lexie, Izzy, and... (full context)

The Richardsons continue to bicker back and forth about the case. Mrs. Richardson and Lexie side with the McCulloughs, as does Mr. Richardson, while Moody and Izzy, inspired by Pearl... (full context)

...both excited and afraid to run into Trip in the hallway. After school, Pearl tells Lexie and Moody that she isn’t feeling well, and goes home instead of to the Richardson’s... (full context)

...anyone else, and Pearl believes he is being sincere. She tells him that Moody and Lexie will “freak out” upon hearing that they’re together, so Trip suggests they keep their relationship... (full context)

...sneaks off every day to meet Pearl at Tim’s house. Though Pearl longs to tell Lexie, she knows that the whole school would know “within a week.” Pearl thinks of Moody,... (full context)

Lexie and Brian have been having sex as often as they can since Halloween, often at... (full context)

At first, Lexie believes she’ll be able to keep the baby. After raising the subject of a baby... (full context)

...that she’ll be traveling to Pittsburgh for research on an article she’s writing, much to Lexie’s relief. The following morning, Lexie pretends to be running late and then, when the house... (full context)

The night before the appointment, and before her mother leaves for Pittsburgh, Lexie calls Pearl and tells her that she “need[s]” her—she is having an abortion. Pearl is... (full context)

At the abortion clinic, Lexie gives the receptionist Pearl’s name—she has made the appointment for herself under Pearl Warren. Furthermore,... (full context)

Lexie is weak and woozy upon leaving the clinic, and is “having trouble processing what ha[s]... (full context)

When Pearl arrives at the house on Winslow with a weakened Lexie in tow, Mia is shocked, but quickly intuits what is going on from Lexie’s disposition... (full context)

Lexie wakes up late in the afternoon—she is home alone with Mia, who feeds her chicken... (full context)

Mia sends Lexie back to bed, though Lexie is worried about missing school. Mia tells her that she... (full context)

The next morning, Lexie wakes up to find Mia gone, and Pearl home eating breakfast. Lexie is feeling better.... (full context)

Lexie sleeps some more after Pearl leaves for school. In the afternoon, Mia comes home to... (full context)

...He confides this to his family at dinnertime, and everyone is surprised to hear that Lexie’s perspective has shifted—she feels a great deal of sympathy for Bebe now. Izzy is suspicious,... (full context)

Lexie is due for a follow-up appointment at the clinic, and asks Mia to accompany her.... (full context)

Lexie is having “romantic troubles of her own.” She has been “skittish” about sleeping with Brian... (full context)

Lexie and Moody learn the news from their mother, who leaves a message on the answering... (full context)

...seventh period, she thinks of her plans to meet Trip after school, and to meet Lexie for a movie after that. She is sad about the end of her friendship with... (full context)

...home, she asks him where everyone is. He tells her he doesn’t know, but that Lexie might be at Serena’s. Izzy asks him if what she overheard about Pearl and Trip... (full context)

...whether Pearl had acted unusual at all in the past few months, and realizes that Lexie’s behavior while their mother was out of town was odd—she puts the pieces of the... (full context)

Izzy goes to Serena’s house, where she confronts Lexie about her abortion. Izzy tells Lexie that Mrs. Richardson thinks Pearl had the abortion. Lexie... (full context)

...morning, the Richardson house has nearly emptied out. Mr. Richardson has gone to the office, Lexie is at Serena’s, Trip has gone to play basketball, and Moody has gone to Pearl’s... (full context)

...remembers Mia’s words about the prairie fire, and lights the match and drops it onto Lexie’s bed as she plans to attempt to catch up with Mia and Pearl. (full context)

...department as well as two policemen, and her children are “perched” atop the hood of Lexie’s car across the street. Mrs. Richardson knows that her husband is discussing Izzy’s absence with... (full context)

...the apartment is in great shape, and empty except for a few pieces of furniture. Lexie remarks on how different the apartment looks, and all three of the Richardson children move... (full context)

Lexie calls for her mother, and Mrs. Richardson joins her in the kitchen to find a... (full context)

Lexie’s photograph has been modified to feature part of the pink discharge slip from the abortion... (full context)