Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Tell Me Three Things, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Blended Families
Intimacy and Growing Up
Wealth, Fitting In, and Bullying
Home
Friendship
Summary
Analysis
Theo tosses Jessie a juice box and says she needs to talk to Dad. Jessie reminds Theo that he’s too immature to be giving her advice like this, but he insists she’s bringing bad energy into the house by ignoring him. Jessie agrees to talk to her dad and texts him. Dad is thrilled and asks when they can talk. Jessie marvels that she has to schedule a time to make up with her dad; before, she, Dad, and Mom would all have dinner every night and they’d play a game where they each shared one thing from their day. Jessie thinks it’s a lot like her game with SN and wonders what she’d tell Mom about her day. She and Dad decide to just talk later.
The juice box from Theo is another peace offering, and it helps Jessie feel more secure in her relationship. This is why she takes Theo seriously when he asks that she talk to Dad. Especially since Jessie’s first thought is to consider how things worked when Mom was still alive, it makes it clear that Mom is still a part of Jessie and Dad’s life, even if she’s no longer here in person. She’s a part of this family and overshadows everything Jessie does.
Themes
After English class, Mrs. Pollack asks Jessie to stay behind. It’s been a good day since Gem is out sick, and Ethan makes it even better by mouthing “Good luck” at Jessie on his way out. Mrs. Pollack apologizes for how she handled things last week. Jessie points out that it’s not Mrs. Pollack’s fault that “Gem is a total bitch” and is immediately mortified. Mrs. Pollack says that she was uncool and tortured in high school. She says that Jessie already knows who she is and that’s probably what makes her seem threatening to Gem. Mrs. Pollack reminds Jessie that there’s a counselor, psychiatrist, and a life coach on staff if Jessie needs to talk, or she can come talk to her. She also says that she’s excited to read Jessie and Ethan’s Waste Land paper, since they’re her brightest students.
Mrs. Pollack essentially confirms for Jessie what both Ethan and SN have made clear to her: that it’s not actually necessary to fit in at Wood Valley in the way that Jessie thinks she has to. She doesn’t have to dress a certain way or embody a certain kind of feminine ideal; she can simply lean into her academic tendencies and let everything else go. It’s even more important and helpful that Mrs. Pollack compliments Jessie’s academic performance, as this makes it clear to Jessie that this is really a thing she should be trying for—fitting in socially may help her get through the school days, but it’s not necessarily the most important part of school.
Themes
At Book Out Below!, Jessie tries to figure out how to turn Liam down and messages SN. SN promises that he’s not a serial killer and suggests they meet at 3:45 p.m. The bell rings; it’s Dad. He says the shop is great and Jessie wonders if they’re just going to ignore their fight. Dad sits down and says it’s unnatural for it to be 90 degrees in November and the pizza is awful here. Suddenly serious, Dad says that he knows he did a bad job parenting through this transition. He asks if Jessie wants to move back to Chicago and says that if she does, they can make it happen.
Dad finally realizes that it was a major misstep to essentially abandon Jessie to figure everything out on her own. What she’s needed this entire time was a parent who was willing to listen, take her seriously, and offer some guidance as to how things were going to work. Now, though it’s a good thing he apologized, it’s too little, too late—Jessie is too entrenched here to move back to Chicago.
Themes
Jessie thinks about how everyone in Chicago has moved on since she left. She also loves Ethan, SN, Dri, Agnes, and Theo, as well as Mrs. Pollack and the library at Wood Valley. Jessie says she’d rather stay here. She begins to cry and Dad says he doesn’t want her to feel alone. Jessie feels like she can finally tell Dad how alone she’s felt in the last few months in a house that’s big, strange, and not hers. Jessie waves off Dad’s hug and says that she’s just going to be mad for a while. He accepts this. Out of the blue, Jessie asks if Dad loves Rachel. He says he does and starts to say that it “doesn’t mean” something, but Jessie makes him stop. She knows that love isn’t finite; his love for Rachel doesn’t mean he loves her or Mom any less.
Because Jessie has genuine friends in Los Angeles and is excelling academically here—and because everything is so different back in Chicago—it’s not hard for her to see that her life is here for the foreseeable future. It’s also telling that she makes a point to call Dad out on how unfamiliar and unwelcoming the house feels. Even if he can’t fix what’s already happened, this is one place where he can do helpful things going forward.
Themes
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Scarlett texts that she and Adam just had sex. It was awkward, but they did okay—she’s in the bathroom and they’re going to have sex again in a minute. Jessie is ecstatic and when Dad asks, tells him that Scarlett texted her something funny. Dad says he’s been talking to Scarlett’s mom about Adam, whom he remembers being “shrimpy.” Dad asks if Jessie remembers how she’d used to say “I growed!” when she was little. Mom and Dad used to ask Jessie this sort of thing all the time; she never remembered what they brought up and doesn’t remember this either. Dad tells Jessie that Mom would be proud of her. Seeing Dad’s earnest look, Jessie thinks that maybe this has all been harder for Dad than it’s been for her.
Just like Jessie, Dad’s memories of Chicago no longer match the reality—Adam has been working out and is clearly no longer the scrawny child that Dad remembers. Jessie isn’t either, for that matter—now, she’s better able to think of others and how things feel for them, which is why she’s suddenly able to consider that this has been difficult for Dad. Then, when Dad reminds Jessie that Mom would be proud, it’s an important recognition on his part that Mom is still part of this family—her opinion, even if it comes from Dad’s mouth, still matters.
Themes
Jessie is messaging SN when she enters her bedroom to find Rachel. Rachel comments sadly that Mom was beautiful as she stares at the photo. Jessie notices that Rachel took down the paintings. Rachel apologizes for leaving them up; Theo’s dad chose them. She says that Jessie should put up whatever she wants and that Jessie will start joining Theo for SAT tutoring. Rachel apologizes again and a tear falls. When Jessie asks if she’s okay, Rachel says that Dad is wonderful, but she still misses Theo’s dad and knows that Theo does too. Jessie is at a loss, but she suggests that Rachel put up some photos of Theo’s dad and of Theo as a kid. Rachel says that’s a great idea, wipes her tears, and leaves.
Finally, Rachel realizes and takes important steps to help Jessie feel at home. By transforming the guest room into Jessie’s room, Rachel makes it clear that Jessie does have some level of ownership over this house and can trust that she’s going to stay here. When Jessie suggests they put up photos of Theo’s dad, she tries to help Rachel feel more at peace with the fact that her first husband may be deceased, but that doesn’t mean she has to forget him. They can all grieve their loved ones and they can do so together—they are, after all, part of the family.
Themes
