51 pages • 1-hour read
Cackle
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Themes
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying and gender discrimination.
Small-Town Conformity and the Policing of “Difficult” Women
Early in the novel, Annie moves from New York City, where psychics of dubious ability can advertise on the street, to Rowan, where a solitary woman who breaks the mold can command the attention of the entire town. Annie and Sophie’s experiences in this small town demonstrate society’s insistence on conformity and the methods it will use to police and control “difficult” women who fail to conform.
Annie becomes aware of Sophie’s unusual status when she starts to notice how the men in town respond to her. When Annie meets Tom, the owner of the town’s diner, she says that he “seems terrified of Sophie. I guess some men from his generation would take issue with having to answer to a woman. With paying rent to a woman” (85). Annie assumes the trouble is generational and that a younger man wouldn’t have the same problem with Sophie, who is a wealthy and powerful woman. However, Oskar is younger than Tom, and he insists on curbing Sophie’s power by checking her relationship with Annie. As Sophie explains, “They say things are better now, that society is more accepting if you don’t want to become a mother. I’m not sure I find that to be true. Either you want babies or, if you don’t, you must want to eat them” (64). If a woman fails to conform, for example, by choosing not to become a mother, she will likely be judged harshly, even vilified, for that choice.
The townspeople use various methods to control the behavior of “difficult” women like Sophie and Annie. Dan makes jokes about Annie’s appearance, suggesting that she has an eating disorder, until her “insecurity comes knocking. Maybe I am so thin,” she thinks, “it’s repulsive. Maybe Pascal is disgusted by me” (188). When boring Pascal fails to show interest in Annie, Dan blames Annie for being unattractive rather than Pascal for being rude. The tacit message is that Annie should make herself more attractive, either physically or in terms of her personality, so that men will desire her. Further, Jill laughs at Dan’s jokes, playfully smacking his hand, suggesting that she agrees with Dan’s assessment of Annie—and his right to assess her. Men also “tone police” women to convey the message that their emotions are inappropriate and extreme, even when they are warranted. During an argument, Sam says, “Why are you being so sarcastic? [….] You’re never sarcastic to me […]. We were always nice to each other. Always” (148). He thus reframes the argument to blame Annie for the way she’s speaking to him instead of addressing what she is actually saying.
Society’s desire to subdue strong women even shows up in Annie’s own behavior. When Sophie says that she can be vengeful, Annie says she doesn’t seem vengeful because “It seems like the polite response” (156). Socially appropriate women don’t always tell the truth, but they are always “polite,” a social standard that helps to manage women’s behavior. In short, there are many ways in which a society will police women’s behavior to make their failure to conform painful for them. In defying these societal expectations, Annie and Sophie both choose to live their lives on their own terms while challenging patriarchal norms.
The Empowering Nature of Female Friendship
At the beginning of their relationship, Annie is empowered by Sophie’s compliments and by the knowledge that Sophie, whom she believes to be special, thinks she’s special too. As Annie heals from her breakup and experiences how fulfilling her life can be while single, Sophie’s example continues to inspire her. As she begins to believe the things Sophie tells her about herself, Annie actually becomes endowed with the same confidence, reflecting the empowering nature of female friendship.
At first, it’s Sophie’s validation that makes Annie feel better about herself. Sophie says, “‘You’re good company, Annie. I’m enjoying your company.’ It’s such a nice thing to have your presence acknowledged as something of value. For a moment, everything glitters” (63). Annie needs someone else to tell her that she’s worthwhile and valuable. She previously depended on Sam, and other men before him, to make her feel this way, and in the absence of a significant other, Annie needs someone else to give her this kind of feedback as she cannot yet feel it on her own. To this end, Annie says, “Every compliment from Sophie is like a straight shot of dopamine” (71), and without these compliments, Annie suffers.
Soon, however, Annie begins to see her own value, without needing Sophie’s compliments as often. After spending some time with Sophie, Annie looks in the mirror and says, “I look incredible. Maybe it’s the lighting in here, flatteringly dim. My skin looks smooth, glowing, my eyes bright” (75). She isn’t willing to completely attribute her appearance to her own natural beauty, but her assessment is much more complimentary than Annie’s earlier, much more critical judgments of herself. Further, the more time Annie spends with Sophie, the more she “wonder[s] if maybe [she is] special, and it only took someone else special to point it out to [her]” (115). In the bathroom on her blind date, Annie mistakes the encouraging writing on the wall as Sophie’s when really it’s her own. Taking her cues from Sophie, she learns to empower herself.
Finally, the friendship inspires such confidence in Annie that she challenges Sophie herself. During an argument, she claims, “‘I’m not your pet!’ […] Suddenly, I realize how patronizing it is. How it implies ownership and reinforces an unfair power dynamic” (262). Annie no longer requires Sophie’s validation, and she has the boldness to stand up to Sophie, even risking her friend’s anger and offense. Annie also willingly walks away from Sophie, despite her ultimatum, because she knows that she needs to make the decision about Sam herself, not because she fears losing Sophie’s friendship.
In the end, Annie says that, a few months ago, she’d have been able to go back to NYC with Sam “without any doubts, without any modicum of shame. But now, turns out the idea of abandoning my new life just because he asks me to completely vandalizes the sense of self I’ve been slowly and painstakingly assembling” (272). The friendship has empowered Annie enough that she can now survive without the man she thought she needed, making the best decision for herself and her happiness, without thinking about what Sophie would have her do.
The Fear of Being Alone and the Freedom of Autonomy
Annie’s post-breakup experience shows that people often fear being alone or single, neglecting to recognize the freedom of being unpartnered. It takes Annie some time and a friend to help her develop a new perspective on what it means to be “alone” and the value of this freedom, which in turn changes her perspective on what she wants out of life.
Annie is aware that society tends to prize romantic relationships, making the idea of remaining “single” a frightening one. When she’s compelled to move upstate, Nadia reassures her that this is “how all romance movies start. You’re going to move to this, like, small-ass town and meet some brooding lumberjack […] He’ll live in a trailer and have a tragic past. It’ll be great” (3). The implicit message is that being in a relationship with a moody, but attractive, man, is better than being single. Further, Nadia’s description makes it sound like Annie’s move is just the first step to her next (lackluster) romance—she doesn’t frame it as a chance for Annie to start over and redefine or discover herself. Social messages like this drive Annie to subsume her sense of self into what she thinks a man wants from her, noting that she’s been with Sam for so long, “I don’t even remember who I was before him” (24).
Sophie helps Annie to reimagine what being “alone” looks like. She claims to be “much happier alone” (54), though Annie doesn’t initially believe it. When Sophie pushes Annie to disconnect from her phone—her means of contact with Sam—Annie recognizes that she recovers quickly when she experiences even “momentary relief [from] the hard evidence of [her] heartbreak” (159). When Annie says that she and Sophie don’t have to celebrate New Year’s, Sophie tells her, “We don’t have to do anything, darling. We’re free” (206). Sophie points out that the “shoulds” and “musts” she typically accepts are only choices disguised as obligations. She insists that Sam breaking up with Annie is “a gift. Look at where you are now. This is only the beginning” (207). Soon, Annie begins to cook beautiful meals for herself and to pick flowers for herself, as she doesn’t wait for an occasion or a man to do it. As a result, she says, “There’s a contentment I’ve never known brewing within me. I can feel it, its gentle swell” (210). Being alone used to make Annie radically unhappy, but she learns to use her time to do things just to please herself, rather than someone else.
Annie ultimately uses her time alone to embrace opportunity, recognizing the freedom in this choice. She teaches herself to make lamb stew and prepare salmon the way she likes it. She realizes that “[t]here’s no one else to consider, and for the first time, that feels like a gift. I dance around the kitchen to music of my choosing” (213). Annie stops being afraid of being alone when she realizes the gift of time and freedom she now has. She can lounge on the couch, prepare a lovely meal, meet a friend and spend the night, or anything else she chooses because she doesn’t have any obligation to adjust to a partner’s preferences.
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