One of the Girls

“When they crested a hilltop, for a moment Lexi could see nothing but the glittering blue kiss of sea. Then suddenly the villa appeared, stone-white with a Greek-flag-blue roof. It stood like a crown on the cliff top, reigning over a tiny, jewelled cove below.”

The imagery used here enhances the verisimilitude of the setting and creates an atmosphere of happy anticipation that quickly dissipates as the group’s many secrets start coming to light. The villa is elevated in an almost regal way, reinforcing the isolation of the setting and the artificial perfection the characters perform as a consequence of The Pressure of Patriarchal Gender Norms. This passage depicts a setting that is both beautiful and dangerous, setting up the juxtaposition between appearance and reality.

“They each had their own role. Lexi was the face of the group, wild, untamable and untethered by her parents. Bella was the voice, loud and deliciously outspoken, often honking with infectious laughter. Robyn was their collective conscience, loyal and thoughtful, ready to steer them right.”

This character delineation uses metaphor to show how the three old friends’ identities are defined by social archetypes and expectations of women. The repetition and parallel structure emphasize the performative nature of these roles, which become traps, dictating rather than describing the women’s behavior. This passage hints at The Power and Precarity of Female Friendship, as Lexi’s emotions in many ways dictate the emotional state of the group.