The recital party symbolizes Lara Jean’s resentment toward Margot. Lara Jean explains that though the family hasn’t hosted a recital party since Mommy died six years ago, she’s always hated them. The parties consisted of Lara Jean and Margot dressing up in matching Christmas dresses and playing piano for Mommy and Daddy’s friends and neighbors, and to Lara Jean, it seemed like an event designed to make Margot seem better and more accomplished than Lara Jean. While Lara Jean wasn’t a skilled pianist and was relegated to playing easy pieces, Margot was capable of performing difficult pieces and got to play the more fun Christmas music. Because of this, Lara Jean outright refused to participate in the last recital party her family held. She couldn’t stand the thought of looking so unaccomplished and inadequate next to Margot, who seemed perfect and put together.
So in the present, when Margot insists on holding a recital party while she’s home for her Christmas break, Lara Jean is understandably wary—Margot already seems so accomplished for attending school in Scotland in the first place, and Lara Jean feels self-conscious about her pretend relationship with Peter (which Margot doesn’t support) and her lack of drive compared to her older sister. Then, when the party takes a turn for the worse and Margot overhears Lara Jean, Peter, and Josh’s argument (and hears that Josh kissed Lara Jean), it makes Lara Jean look even worse in comparison to her sister; Margot, after all, comes away from the conversation believing that Lara Jean betrayed her by purposefully kissing Josh. But none of this strife is totally visible, or is understood by the adults at the party, including Daddy. This speaks to how well-hidden Lara Jean and Margot’s rivalry is to outside observers.
The Recital Party Quotes in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
When my mom was alive, every Christmas we’d have what she called a recital party. She’d make tons of food and invite people over one night in December, and Margot and I would wear matching dresses and play Christmas carols on the piano all night. People would drift in and out of the piano room and sing along, and Margot and I would take turns playing. I hated real piano recitals because I was the worst in my age group and Margot was the best. It was humiliating to have to play some easy “Für Elise” while the other kids had already moved on to Liszt. I always hated recital party. I used to beg and beg not to have to play.
The Recital Party Symbol Timeline in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
