Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Puberty
Friendship, Fitting In, and Social Pressure
Religion
Family Conflict
Summary
Analysis
In the middle of June, the PTA holds a farewell party for the sixth graders. None of the girls wear socks. Margaret wears her first pair of sheer stockings and promptly gets a run in them. She feels like she’s growing up, even if her body doesn’t know that yet. The class gives Mr. Benedict a pair of silver cufflinks. He thanks them and tells them that because of them, he'll be an experienced teacher next year. Then, Nancy, Gretchen, Janie, and Margaret have lunch downtown and discuss junior high.
Noting that none of the girls wear socks to the party suggests that every girl in Margaret’s class grew up over the course of the last year. Alternatively, it could also imply that the pressure to fit in is increasing, and that there’s a narrow range of “acceptable” behavior. Interestingly, Margaret acknowledges that she’s maturing emotionally, even if she’s not quite there physically.
Themes
That afternoon, Mom starts packing Margaret’s trunk for camp. When Margaret hears the lawnmower outside, she realizes that Moose is back. She’s excited at first—but then she remembers that he spread mean stories about Laura. Margaret runs downstairs to confront him and stands right in front of the mower. She tells him he’s a liar; she doesn’t think he’s ever taken Laura Danker behind the A&P. Moose asks where Margaret heard that. Margaret starts to say that Nancy told her, but then realizes she sounds like an “idiot.” Moose asks if Margaret always believes everything she hears and tells her to not believe things unless she has proof. Margaret apologizes, but Moose tells her to get out of his way.
For Margaret, this passage represents a major coming-of-age moment. She now prioritizes telling the truth and being kind over her crush on Moose, which is why she feels compelled to confront him. And she realizes yet again that she can’t take Nancy at her word. Going forward, Margaret is going to have to think for herself and make her own choices, relying on her own observations—not just Nancy’s rumors.
Themes
Margaret runs inside. She has to go to the bathroom and as she sits down, she thinks about Moose. She’s happy that Moose isn’t a liar. Then, she looks down and notices blood in her underwear. Margaret yells for Mom and Mom soon appears in the bathroom door. Margaret starts to laugh and sob that she started her period. Mom tears up too, and she says she already bought Margaret supplies to take to camp, just in case. Mom returns a moment later and assures Margaret she got Teenage Softies, not Private Lady. Mom starts to tell Margaret how to use a pad, but Margaret admits that she’s been practicing for months. They laugh and Mom excuses herself.
It’s exciting for Margaret to have proof that Moose isn’t a liar—now, she can feel okay about having a crush on him. And then, finally, Margaret gets the one thing she wanted most: her period. This represents Margaret’s final coming-of-age, as now she’s physically mature in addition to being more emotionally mature. Her relationship with Mom means that it’s no big deal for her to ask Mom for help—and then tell the truth about not actually needing help with the pad.
Themes
Margaret sticks the pad into her underwear, gets dressed, and looks in the mirror. She wonders if anyone will know she’s started her period—like Moose or Dad. She has to call Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie to share the news, and poor Janie will now be the last PTS to get her period. Margaret used to think she’d be the last to start, but now, she’s growing up. She’s almost a woman. Margaret asks God if he’s still there. She knows he is—he wouldn’t miss this. She thanks him for helping her start her period.
Now that Margaret has started her period, she realizes that it’s not necessarily something other people will notice. With this, she starts to see that having periods isn’t such a big deal, even if the anticipation was stressful. And finally, by talking to God again, Margaret also shows that she’s satisfied with the personal relationship she has with God—it’s enough for her, and she doesn’t need a religion to legitimize it. What’s more, God has been there all along.
Themes
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