The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Chapters 15 and 16 Summary & Analysis

Tibby writes to Lena about how her documentary is, surprisingly, not funny.

Bridget’s team, Los Tacos, plays another match, but Molly makes Bridget play defense. But, in the last part of the game, Bridget scores a spectacular goal.

Analysis

The domestic family scene Carmen sees through Lydia’s window is vastly different from the kind of family life she knows, and her violent reaction is rooted in both anger and jealousy. Carmen is angry, because her father doesn’t seem to care enough about her to notice that she’s missing. When she stormed out of the house, she expected him to look for her, assuming that his concern would trump her petulance and rudeness. Instead, he’s gone about his day, and worry over Carmen doesn’t seem to have stopped him from enjoying his dinner. But Carmen is also jealous, since her father is happy now in a way he never was with Carmen and her mother. At home in Bethesda, Carmen and her mother have lived for years as a happy twosome, and Carmen has not lacked for love. However, seeing her father’s new family—with two parents—makes her realize how much she’s missed having a father. Rather than play that role for her, her father has chosen to be father to a new set of children.

Carmen and Tibby are the first friends to reunite after time apart, and their awkward encounter suggests that the girls have changed in ways the others won’t easily understand. Carmen thinks she can count on Tibby for quick sarcasm and easy anger on her behalf. However, Tibby now has a different perspective on life. She sees the bigger picture, and she knows that some things aren’t worth getting upset about. As she’s gotten to know Bailey and met people for her documentary, she’s realized that she and her friends have a lot to be thankful for. They are healthy, and they have many people in their lives to stop them from being lonely. Whereas Tibby would once have taken Carmen’s side no matter what, she now finds it hard to accept Carmen’s childish jealousy and her reluctance to admit she’s angry with her father. For her part, Carmen can’t accept that Tibby is judging her. She believes the role of Tibby is simply to listen, understand, and tell Carmen she’s right. Although Tibby is the one who’s stayed home this summer, she’s also the one who has become more mature and worldly. Carmen doesn’t know how to handle the new Tibby, and she leaves in anger.

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