Click

In the story’s resolution, the author combines dialogue and visuals to emphasize how much Olive has grown and changed; rather than feeling left out of the event, she now resides contentedly in the midst of the action, and she holds the important role of tying everyone together and enhancing the sense of community amongst her fellow students. In this way, Olive’s approach to the variety show reflects her eclectic approach to life, and she is now Learning How to Navigate Cliques in a way that allows her to maintain her individuality and establish her own autonomy.

In the novel’s final scenes, it is clear that Olive’s mother has not fully realized the extent to which Olive has grown in this short span of time. Unlike Aunt Molly, who openly encourages Olive’s growth, Olive’s mother sees the protagonist as a child who still needs someone else to speak for her. From offering to speak to other mothers to arguing with Aunt Molly over Olive’s decision to host, Olive’s mother proves that although she has her daughter’s best interests at heart, she does not realize the importance of allowing Olive to develop her own independence. This is also demonstrated when she proposes speaking to Mr. Florez on Olive’s behalf rather than letting Olive speak to her teacher directly. However, the final scenes of the story suggest that Olive’s mother is finally beginning to recognize how much Olive has grown, and as she and Aunt Molly offer Olive lipstick and congratulate her on her role in the show, the girl gains full recognition of her autonomy.

In the lead-up to the variety show itself, Olive’s newfound confidence manifests in many different ways, and she navigates her relationships and expresses herself much more effectively than she has throughout the majority of the narrative. Rather than waiting for others to ask her what is wrong, she articulates her feelings, and when her opinions differ from those of her friends, she assertively states her intentions and defends her decisions. Additionally, Olive immediately feels more comfortable with her friends on the bus. Because she is no longer evaluating them and testing whether they want to include her in their groups, she is able to interact with more authenticity, and as they respond to her enthusiasm, she regains her place amongst her many friend groups and no longer feels left out. In this moment, she realizes that her previous sullenness and indirect approach to communication excluded her more thoroughly than any external actions on the part of her friends.

Despite these improvements, Olive has one last conflict to handle when it comes to Learning How to Navigate Cliques, and ironically, this conflict occurs when she receives an invitation that she no longer wants. Significantly, the way that Olive handles the resulting conflict also demonstrates her growth as a character. At first, when Ava and the other cheerleading girls ask her to join their act, Olive reverts to her indirect and passive version of communication, feeling speechless and awkward. Even though she has already made her decision and grown comfortable with the idea of hosting, she is not sure how to communicate this choice to her friends. Her hesitation suggests that she still worries about what they will think of her, and her fear serves as an echo of The Tension Between Conformity and Individuality, even though she has already chosen her path forward. However, rather than worrying all day, Olive tries a new tactic. She draws on what she has learned from Aunt Molly and imagines what it would look like to authentically express herself in front of her friends like Aunt Molly did. As a result, Olive has a more honest and direct conversation with Ava, explaining why hosting feels right to her and reassuring her friend that their bond is still strong. This open and direct dialogue allows her to establish a much more fruitful and authentic relationship with Ava: one that allows both girls to simply be themselves. The efficacy of Olive’s approach is demonstrated when Ava softens and agrees to help Olive choose a dress for her role as a host. As the two friends brainstorm ways for Olive to introduce the cheerleaders, it is clear that their friendship is repaired.

Now that Olive is more comfortable being someone who has friends in lots of groups but doesn’t exclusively belong to a single clique, she is able to explore a much broader landscape of new social possibilities. As the day of the variety show approaches, Olive uses her position as host to foster new connections amongst her many friends, introducing disparate groups to each other and facilitating new friendships. This discovery demonstrates a creative solution to The Tension Between Conformity and Individuality, for Olive’s unique role amongst her school friends is that of a facilitator or even an ambassador; she gets along with multiple groups and creates new foundations for positive friendship wherever she goes. With her unique approach to an increasingly complex social world, Olive finally sees that there is a third path—one that allows her to remain an individual while helping her friends to fit in with each other and connect more deeply. The concept of hosting the show is therefore a powerful symbol that represents Olive’s broader social role and her unique ability to jump between groups.

Hosting also gives Olive a new social framework that allows her best qualities to shine. As a host, Olive can comfortably move between groups and appreciate their unique interests without necessarily having to commit herself to one set of interests. The role also gives her an opportunity to be generous and supportive, especially to anyone who feels nervous or experiences stage fright. When she isn’t so worried about herself and her own social standing, she has the emotional space to support her many friends.

In the final pages, Miller brings back the motif of the word “click” when Olive’s friends ask how she came up with the idea of hosting and she states that it “just clicked.” Olive now recognizes that it is hard to fully describe who she is or choose a single activity that fully represents her personality. Throughout the novel, she undergoes a complex process of trial and error as she imagines different versions of her social life and identity, and ultimately, this particular role honors her urge to engage in an eclectic array of interests. Her process of self-discovery is therefore designed to model the coming-of-age struggles that all adolescents undergo as they experiment with their social identities, try out new activities, and engage with different friend groups until they find the right fit.