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
Two years ago, Josh was helping Lara Jean with her math homework in the library, and then he said he needed advice: he likes someone. Lara Jean hoped it was her, but she realized it couldn’t be. She couldn’t figure out who it might be, and the librarian shushed them before Lara Jean could ask questions. It never occurred to Lara Jean that Josh liked Margot, though Josh is exactly the kind of guy who’d like Margot. He reads comic books, is skinny, and is good at school. It wasn’t surprising that Josh would like Margot, but it was surprising that she’d like him back.
In this passage, Lara Jean shows how common for her it is to make assumptions about people. It’s unclear why, at this point, she doesn’t think it’s possible that Margot would return Josh’s feelings. Regardless, though, Lara Jean clearly has very firm ideas about who Josh is, who Margot is, and the kind of people they’re “supposed” to like. This also implies that Lara Jean’s other assumptions might not all be correct; she was wrong here, after all.
Themes
Margot came home later that day with oddly bright eyes and announced that Josh liked her. Lara Jean was shocked and tried to hide her envy and despair from Margot. That night, Lara Jean wrote her letter to Josh and in an instant, “it was over.” She hasn’t thought of him romantically since then, because he and Margot are made for each other. Back in the present, Margot finally comes back to bed. She’s crying, and Lara Jean knows she and Josh will get back together.
By essentially allowing Margot and Josh to date each other without putting up a fuss, Lara Jean demonstrates how much she cares for her sister. She was willing to suppress her own feelings for Josh if it meant making Margot happy. Now, having to pivot and accept that Josh doesn’t make Margot happy is hard for Lara Jean to accept, which is why she fixates on Margot and Josh getting back together.
Themes
