Big Little Lies

A young, single mother with a painful past, Jane is a newcomer to the Pirriwee Peninsula. Jane’s perspective provides support for the reader; we learn about the town, the school, and the people at the same time Jane does. Jane and Ziggy moving to the area gives Moriarty the narrative logic to divulge information about Pirriwee. Jane being a young mom also provides generational variety amongst the otherwise middle-aged parents. Her problems are different from the other parents: freelance work, struggling to raise Ziggy on her own, and trying to be taken seriously as a mom. Jane’s struggles fitting into the community show the difficulties young and single moms might face in cultures dominated by traditional family structures. Her young age, too, can also appeal to readers the same age as Jane, broadening the appeal of the novel. 

Despite her younger age, Jane goes on to display mature behavior when raising her son. She begins Big Little Lies secretly worried that Ziggy will become violent because of his father. Jane is ashamed of this fear, but she still can’t ignore it. As the story progresses, Jane recognizes that Ziggy never displays violent behavior, which the child psychologist echoes. By taking Ziggy to the psychologist, Jane shows maturity in a difficult situation. After, she confidently defends her son to a group of gossiping mothers. Jane’s decisions are logical and smart, demonstrating that young mothers are equally capable of being successful parents. Furthermore, Jane never resents that Ziggy’s conception resulted from assault. From the beginning, she commits to motherhood and even puts her dream of being a lawyer aside to immediately support her son. Despite her age, Jane proves to be one of the most mature and selfless parents in the story.

The third main character, Celeste is more guarded and reserved than the other two main characters. Where Jane ends up confiding in Madeline, Celeste keeps Perry’s abuse a secret. Celeste instead chooses to speak to a therapist, but even when she does, she feels “It was shameful […] , but it was also a wonderful relief to be telling someone” (219). Her character arc is closely tied to the theme of The Pain of Lying and the Healing Power of the Truth. More than Madeline or Jane, the truth is painful for Celeste to let out. Therefore, as the story unfolds and Celeste still doesn’t leave Perry, his assaults only get worse. While the other stories rise and fall in dramatic intensity, Celeste’s reserved nature causes her storyline to boil until finally erupting at the trivia night. Her character propels the story forward by keeping her secrets close until the climax. 

Celeste’s lifestyle also allows for commentary on class and wealth. Celeste rationalizes her marriage through the opulent lifestyle that Perry’s career affords them. They live in a house that overlooks the beach. They go on vacations. He buys her expensive gifts, and she can donate thousands of dollars to charity without batting an eye. Speaking to her therapist, Celeste even dangerously thinks “Perhaps it was even fair. A little violence was a bargain price for a life that would otherwise be just too sickeningly, lavishly, moonlit perfect” (259). Celeste’s inner turmoil, and the dangerous situation she finds herself in, shows that material wealth can never make up for violent behavior. Furthermore, Celeste never seems to find joy in her wealthy lifestyle. Madeline even observes that Celeste doesn’t care about jewelry and purses the way she does. Celeste views her lifestyle as something to be grateful for through the eyes of others, not herself. Celeste’s life speaks to the theme of The Importance of Domestic Violence Awareness by showing that money cannot buy happiness or serve as a substitute for a healthy marriage.

Perry is the primary antagonist in the story, and his actions give rise to the theme of The Importance of Domestic Violence Awareness. His attacks on his wife are not only awful for Celeste to experience, they also negatively impact the boys, shown in the reveal of Max being the bully at school. Before Max is found out, the mystery of who the bully is sends the parents and teachers into a spiral of accusations and pettiness. The bullying leads to Ziggy being singled out and Renata and Madeline forming separate “teams.” Meanwhile, Perry appears to be the perfect, handsome, and well-dressed husband. His nefariousness doesn’t stop there, however, as he is also revealed to be Ziggy’s father. By the end, all roads lead to Perry. By hiding him in plain sight, Moriarty shows how domestic abusers can conceal their crimes and pressure their targets into silence. Perry’s villainy represents the hidden dangers of the supposedly idyllic suburban lifestyle. Perry sets many of the plotlines in motion for the story, and his death forms the novel’s central mystery.

Perry’s backstory offers some insight into how he turned into the antagonist he is. When he was little, Perry was overweight and picked on aggressively. He’s tall and handsome now, but Celeste recognizes when he hits her “[she] bore the brunt of a fat little boy’s violent, suppressed rage” (360). Unfortunately, Perry finds no redemption, but his backstory shows the importance of raising children to be kind and empathetic. Had Perry never been bullied, there is a chance that so much of the violence in Big Little Lies could have been prevented. By telling us about Perry’s childhood, the story shows how the cycle can be broken.

Over the course of the novel, Renata evolves from a minor antagonist to an unlikely ally. Moriarty uses her to illustrate the school politics that consume the privileged mothers’ lives. Renata is “out for blood” because her child is being physically attacked by another student (310), and she unquestioningly accepts the blame Amabella places on Ziggy. As a result, she quickly becomes a hostile figure to Jane and attempts to turn the community against the new family. Renata’s scapegoating has an unintentional positive effect because Madeline becomes close to Jane and Ziggy in part to spite her rival. 

Like more prominent characters, such as Celeste, Renata’s life is outwardly enviable but plagued by her own secret problems. In Renata’s case, her seemingly happy marriage is damaged by her husband’s affair. Near the novel’s climax, Madeline and Renata resolve their rivalry through a conversation about how Max is Amabella’s real bully. This reconciliation advances the theme of The Pain of Lying and the Healing Power of the Truth and grants both characters emotional growth and maturity. At the trivia night, Renata sees Bonnie push Perry to her death but keeps this a secret, a decision that emphasizes the importance of solidarity among women. Moriarty further supports The Pain of Lying and the Healing Power of the Truth through her divorce from her unfaithful husband. Renata’s character arc illustrates Moriarty’s message that people can claim agency and make positive change by confronting the truth.

Jane’s son, Ziggy, is an important figure in the theme of The Wisdom of Children, and the mystery about him and the bullying at school provides a key subplot. A newcomer to the Pirriwee community who struggles to make friends, Ziggy is described as a “beautiful, serious, intense little boy” (443). Big Little Lies is deeply interested in parent-child relationships, and the strong bond between Jane and Ziggy offers a healthy alternative to the smothering yet more distant helicopter parenting seen in the more privileged families. Moriarty adds an element of mystery and ambiguity to Ziggy’s character by keeping the bully’s identity a secret for much of the novel and by having Jane describe her son as “a little stranger, constantly changing, disappearing and reintroducing himself” (65). A major aspect of the theme of Community as a Source of Tension and Relief is how the boy is scapegoated and targeted by his fellow kindergartners and, more concerningly, adults. This reveals how classism affects the insular community’s dynamics as well as the cost of the characters’ toxic parenting styles.  



Despite the allegations against him, Ziggy emerges as a kind and insightful figure. His concern for Madeline lead to his mother’s fast friendship with the other woman, setting much of the novel’s plot into motion. In addition, he shows a strong conscience and selflessness by “bravely and foolishly” keeping the bully’s identity a secret out of fear that Max would hurt Amabella again (368). His ultimate vindication offers proof of The Pain of Lying and the Healing Power of the Truth.