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Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
How the Past Informs the Present
In The Summer I Turned Pretty, chapters of the novel alternate between the current and previous summers, highlighting how the past informs and shapes the present. For example, in Chapter Ten, Laurel urges Belly to contact her father. This leads to a flashback as Belly remembers her parents’ divorce and the impact of her father moving out of their home. In Chapter Thirteen, Laurel wonders if Conrad may be doing drugs. In the next chapter, the teens discover their mothers have been smoking marijuana. Chapter Thirty-Seven describes Belly’s eleventh birthday. That year, Susannah gives her a charm bracelet as a present, and the young girl adores it. This foreshadows Jeremiah giving Belly a charm to add to the bracelet the summer she turns 16. His thoughtful present shows that he has been paying attention to Belly for many years, and he knows her well.
Several chapters focus on the summer Belly is 14, suggesting the significance of the year’s events. That year, her friend Taylor comes to Cousins Beach for a week-long stay. Her presence affects the dynamic between Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah. Belly realizes that she would be hurt if Taylor began to date either brother. The realization hints at the developing love triangle between Belly and the two boys. Belly uses flashbacks to directly connect moments of the past to the moments they affect in the present.
Creating One's Own Definition of Womanhood
Throughout the novel, Belly tries to create her own definition of womanhood. When she was younger, being a girl meant being left out of the boys’ adventures. The summer that Belly turns sixteen, though, “being a girl” and physically maturing gains the boys’ interest. While Belly has always wanted the boys to include her, receiving attention solely because of her looks makes Belly feel as though her value is dependent on her appearance.
Belly also uses comparison to inform her definition of womanhood. She evaluates her appearance and behavior against other teenage girls, and feels that she doesn’t measure up. After arriving at the bonfire on the beach, she notices she is dressed differently from the other girls at the party: they’re wearing sundresses, while she has on a tank top and shorts. Her best friend Taylor also provides a contrast to Belly. Taylor believes being a girl means wearing stylish clothes and makeup and chasing after boys. She focuses on her image and how others perceive her, rather than valuing her own intelligence. On the other hand, Belly has a variety of interests, including swimming, studying Latin, and reading. Belly’s way of being a girl differs from Taylor’s, and Belly learns over time that it’s not a matter of right and wrong. There is more than one way to embrace womanhood.
