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Chapter 15
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Such a Fun Age, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
External Behavior vs. Internal Truth
White Guilt, Ignorance, and Redemption
The Quest for Meaning
Race, Class, and Privilege
Summary
Analysis
Peter’s toast embarrasses Emira. Kelley squeezes Emira’s knee throughout dinner, but she has no idea what he’s trying to tell her—is he mad she hadn’t told him that she lied to Mrs. Chamberlain about how they met? Emira is also mad at Mrs. Chamberlain for lying about writing a history book. All this time, Emira has mistakenly thought that Mrs. Chamberlain is doing serious scholarly work when all she’s really doing is writing a coffee table book.
These few chapters build tension as the narrative perspective bounces back and forth between Emira and Alix. By moving between these two perspectives, the novel emphasizes how Alix’s efforts to present her life as different than her inner reality breed conflict and misunderstanding.
Themes
Tamra interrupts Emira’s musings to ask about her plans for the future. When Emira admits that her GPA was only a 3.1, Tamra agrees that this isn’t great. However, Tamra says, Alix and Peter love Emira, and they also have a lot of connections and would pull whatever strings they can to help Emira.
Tamra and the Chamberlains want what’s best for Emira, but in suggesting that Emira use their connections to better herself, they implicitly dehumanize Emira, suggesting that Emira is incapable of bettering herself without the help of the white, privileged people in her life.
Themes
Emira notices that Briar looks sick and uncomfortable. She asks if Briar is okay, but nobody notices. Briar says she wants Mama, but Mrs. Chamberlain tells Briar that she’s talking. Then, she turns back to Catherine, urging her to say “Hi,” like she did yesterday. When Briar vomits seconds later, Emira instinctively leaps across the table and covers the little girl’s mouth with an expensive napkin.
That it’s Emira—not Alix—who recognizes that Briar isn’t feeling well illustrates how little in touch with Briar’s feelings Alix is, mentally and physically. She’s too invested in her favorite daughter—the one who doesn’t disrupt her image of a perfect life with incessant chatter and quirks—to pay any attention to Briar.
Themes
