Principal Trenton Character Analysis in This Is Where It Ends

The principal of Opportunity High School. While Claire mocks her for starting every semester’s assembly with the same boring speech, for the four narrators she also represents the security of their ordinary – if boring – lives as high schoolers. Her death in the first moments of Tyler’s rampage signals the end of this untroubled period in their collective lives.

Principal Trenton Character Timeline in This Is Where It Ends

The timeline below shows where the character Principal Trenton appears in This Is Where It Ends. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...be running drills with Coach Lindt than listening to the boring and predicable speech that Principal Trenton repeats at the start of each new semester. This morning at breakfast, Claire recited the... (full context)

Principal Trenton loves to repeat the school’s motto: We Shape the Future. But Claire is unsure about... (full context)

Family and Sibling Relationships Theme Icon

Meanwhile, Tomás is inside Principal Trenton ’s office, rifling through her drawers. He’s already lined his teacher’s desk drawers with superglue... (full context)

Change, Uncertainty, and Growing Up Theme Icon

Inside Opportunity High’s auditorium, Autumn is listening to Principal Trenton’s speech. The principal tells the students that the choices they make now will determine their entire futures, so... (full context)

Sitting at Autumn’s left, Autumn’s girlfriend Sylvia points out the lack of originality in the principal’s speech. Stung, Autumn points out that everyone really does want to be their best selves,... (full context)

Feeling daring again, Tomás opens the drawer of files. He knows that the principal will speak for exactly five minutes, after which the hallways will be clogged with students... (full context)

...the “dubious honor” of being the school’s chief mischief-makers. Tomás says no; he doesn’t want Principal Trenton to call his Abuelo again, and he doesn’t want his Mamá to find out that... (full context)

...once, everyone realizes that the figure entering the room is holding a gun. He tells Principal Trenton that he “has a question,” raises his arm, and fires. (full context)

...seats in pools of blood, and the English teacher, Mr. Jameson, tries to stanch the principal’s wounds. An elderly librarian starts walking toward the door; remembering how the woman regularly brings... (full context)

...locked doors and carefully takes his paper clips to the locks. Grimly, he imagines what Principal Trenton would say to him flouting the rules now. (full context)