This Is How It Always Is

This Is How It Always Is

by

Laurie Frankel

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on This Is How It Always Is makes teaching easy.
A kid a Poppy’s school in Seattle. The day Poppy is outed as transgender, Jake, under the influence of Marnie Alison, says terrible transphobic and homophobic things to Poppy. Afterward, Jake texts Poppy to apologize, and when Poppy returns from Thailand, Jake asks her to dance at the Valentine’s Day dance at school. Jake represents those who are encouraged by bullies to give LGBTQ kids a hard time. Jake turns out not to be such a bad kid, he simply follows his peers at Poppy’s expense.
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This Is How It Always Is PDF

Jake Irving Character Timeline in This Is How It Always Is

The timeline below shows where the character Jake Irving appears in This Is How It Always Is. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part II: Parenting in the Dark
Secrets and Misunderstanding Theme Icon
Violence and Discrimination Theme Icon
At school, Marnie Alison and Jake Irving approach Poppy and ask her if she is a boy. “We heard,” Jake says... (full context)
Part IV: After
Gender and Binaries  Theme Icon
Storytelling Theme Icon
...socks, Poppy feels almost brave. A few people walk by and say hi, and then Jake Irving approaches. He says hello and asks if Poppy ever got his text (he sent... (full context)
Gender and Binaries  Theme Icon
Violence and Discrimination Theme Icon
Jake asks Poppy if she wants to dance. He looks at the dance floor and tells... (full context)