Deenie

The final section offers a positive conclusion to Deenie’s journey that is typical of adolescent fiction, but Blume also leaves the ending somewhat open and ambiguous. Deenie appears confident and hopeful now that she has accepted her condition and formed new relationships, but the final chapters do not provide any information about her future. This open ending enables the narrative to convey its message of acceptance and inclusion while making sure to provide a realistic and nuanced view of disability. By leaving Deenie’s fate up to interpretation, the story defines disability as a contextual, ever-evolving concept, rather than a monolithic, stagnant identity. It also encourages readers to imagine how Deenie’s condition might continue to shape her experience as she matures further. This realistic ending creates a sense of hopefulness while accurately reflecting the experiences of people with disabilities.

Another major arc that is partially resolved by the end of the novel is Deenie’s relationship with her mother. Helen, Deenie, and Thelma’s climactic confrontation unpacks each of those characters’ motivations and, in doing so, reframes their actions as results of their conflicting desires. When Helen argues with Thelma about the pressure she puts on her daughters, for example, Deenie comments, “I never knew Helen thought about me being pretty. I always thought it was just the opposite…that she was better than me because she was so smart” (148). Deenie finally realizes that her rivalry with Helen is the product of Thelma’s conditioning, and both sisters suffer from it. This revelation marks a pivotal moment in the theme of The Negative Impact of Parental Ambition on Self-Identity, culminating with Thelma finally confronting the harmful effects of her parenting and Deenie and Helen realizing how it has affected their relationship.

In the chapter leading up to this confrontation, the narrative often implicitly places Helen in opposition to Thelma. While Thelma is often depicted as overly controlling and dismissive of Deenie’s emotions, Helen consistently supports her younger sister. She cheers up Deenie after the cheerleading tryouts, lends her clothing, gives her advice, and generally takes on an almost motherly role. Her behavior highlights Thelma’s flawed relationship with her daughters, setting up their final argument as inevitable. Importantly, Helen also explicitly states that Deenie is not to blame for her condition. Throughout the diagnosis process, Deenie had been struggling with feelings of guilt for causing her family grief. Helen’s intervention suggests that, although her reaction is not uncommon, those feelings are misguided. This facet of Deenie’s experience contributes to the sense of realism that problem novels rely on, as the narrative explores complex and relatable emotional dynamics.

Deenie’s father also takes on a more significant role toward the end of the book. While he appears more passive in the first part of the novel, Frank offers consistent support to Deenie and starts standing up to Thelma more directly. His intervention prompts Deenie to keep her brace on at Janet’s party, a moment that provides closure to the theme of Disability as a Catalyst for Self-Acceptance. Through Frank’s character, the narrative sets up an emotional dilemma for Deenie at a crucial point in her character arc that acts as a test of Deenie’s emotional growth. When she chooses to wear the brace, Deenie indirectly signals that she accepts her condition and embraces her new reality as a person with a disability. The moment's significance is underscored by the fact that the novel ends on that note, with Deenie telling her father that she “didn’t need [to take off her brace] after all” (156). This final interaction concludes Deenie’s character arc while cementing the narrative’s broader message about identity and self-acceptance. Because Deenie’s Milwaukee brace crystallizes her anxieties about societal norms and stigmatization, her decision to keep it demonstrates the young girl’s growing confidence and maturity.

Through Deenie’s subjective point of view, the narrative offers insight into deeply intimate teenage concerns that reflect larger sociocultural norms and beliefs. Whereas Deenie’s initial attitude toward characters with disabilities is the product of her upbringing in an ableist society, her personal experience leads her to develop compassion and a better understanding of the experiences of people with disabilities, concluding the novel’s exploration of Empathy as a Tool to Challenge Ableism. Through Deenie’s journey, the novel examines how personal reflection and shifting family dynamics can lead to broader societal change. This message is characteristic of adolescent problem novels, which tend to focus on a young protagonist’s experience to explore deeper sociocultural issues. This perspective aims to humanize larger issues to deepen the readers’ understanding by fostering empathy and social connection.