Beth and Rachel’s Clothes Symbol Analysis

Beth and Rachel’s differing wardrobes represent not only the differences in their personalities, but also the way that their life experiences have led them to pursue their creativity in different ways. Their taste in clothes couldn’t be less alike: like a stereotypical city-dwelling writer, Rachel habitually wears all black, while Beth sticks to bright colors—preferably multiple at a time, and especially purple. She also insists on wearing shorts whenever it’s over 40°F outside. Early on in the book, Rachel decides that she admires Beth’s creativity with her wardrobe, because it shows that Beth has been able to develop her individuality and embrace her quirks. Rachel implicitly links this to the self-determination movement: Beth’s ability to wear whatever she wants is a small but clear sign that she is truly getting to live the life that she wants, rather than following someone else’s formula.

In contrast, Rachel dresses to fit in with the people around her, which requires her to hide her individuality. As a non-disabled person, she is expected to dress according to certain norms that Beth chooses not to follow, and as a writer, she is expected to blend into the scene she is researching, rather than calling too much attention to herself. She adds color to her life not by adorning herself, but rather by pursuing and making sense of other people’s stories. Thus, it’s no surprise that at the beginning of the book, Rachel feels that she lacks an energy that Beth possesses in abundance—but by the end, Beth’s color and vitality start to rub off on Rachel, too.