Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Family, Responsibility, and Growing Up
Love and Fear
Social Structure, Reputation, and High School
Lies vs. Honesty
Summary
Analysis
During chemistry class, Peter asks Lara Jean if he can come study for their upcoming test this evening. So over dinner that night, Lara Jean tells Daddy and Kitty that Peter is coming over to study. Lara Jean sets up the kitchen for studying, pops popcorn, and bakes brownies. But as it gets later and later, Lara Jean realizes he’s not coming. Peter eventually texts and says that something came up. Lara Jean knows what it is: Genevieve. He’s been distracted all day, and Lara Jean noticed them talking and touching earlier in the afternoon. Lara Jean is hurt, even if her relationship with Peter is just a charade. And since things are better with Josh these days, maybe she and Peter should break up. She decides to take revenge.
Lara Jean has come to trust Peter, which is why she goes all-out in preparing for their study session. But her enthusiasm and trust start to seem silly, or like a bit of a liability, when Peter doesn’t show up. The fact that Lara Jean gets so upset believing that Peter has gone back to Genevieve suggests that on some level, even if she’s not willing to admit it, Lara Jean is jealous.
Themes
The next morning, Lara Jean asks Josh to drive her to school. Halfway to school, though, Lara Jean starts to worry—what if Peter had a good reason to ghost on her last night? Josh notices Lara Jean’s mood and tells her to be careful; Peter is a “douche” who only cares about sex. Lara Jean is offended. She tells herself that Peter won’t be mad as they get to school, and she heads for class. But during Lara Jean’s first class, Peter appears in the hallway. Lara Jean excuses herself from class, and Peter snaps that he waited for her for 20 minutes earlier. If she was upset, she should’ve just said something.
Lara Jean allows her emotions to get the better of her by taking revenge and asking Josh to drive her. Josh saying rude things about Peter is its own sort of punishment for acting rashly and immaturely—now, Lara Jean doesn’t feel now like she can really trust either boy to actually support her or be there for her. And again, the fact that Josh says these things indicates that he’s judging Peter without knowing him well.
Themes
Lara Jean points out that Peter didn’t show up last night and asks if he was with Genevieve. Peter says she “needed” him, and Lara Jean privately thinks that boys have no self-control. She insists there’s no point to them pretending to date if he’s going to go every time Genevieve calls. She asks Peter to apologize. He does, but he says he’s always going to be there for Genevieve—even if she does have a new boyfriend. They get each other in a different way. Lara Jean knows they still love each other, but she sighs and doesn’t push it. As she returns to class, things start to make sense. Her relationship with Peter isn’t to help Peter move on from Genevieve. She’s just holding Genevieve’s place.
The fact that Lara Jean is so upset about Peter insisting on seeing Genevieve is a sign that she’s jealous. In turn, this is a sign that she’s taking their pretend relationship seriously and is starting to develop feelings for Peter. This is no longer just a charade for Lara Jean; even if she’s not willing to push Peter, she implies that she’d like to be in a relationship with him where they’re actually loyal to each other. Though this conversation doesn’t have a satisfying conclusion, it also shows Lara Jean that speaking maturely and openly with Peter about their relationship isn’t so frightening.
Themes
