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Part II: Hedge Enemies
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in This Is How It Always Is, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Gender and Binaries
Secrets and Misunderstanding
Violence and Discrimination
Storytelling
Family
Summary
Analysis
Rosie is in with a patient when Poppy calls. Rosie steps out to take the call, but Poppy is silent on the other end. Rosie is instantly scared something is majorly wrong, and then Poppy speaks. “Mom. They know,” she says, “Everyone knows.” Rosie hangs up and runs home.
This chapter is short and comes out of the blue, which is how carefully kept secrets such as Poppy’s gender identity usually come out, Frankel implies.
Themes
