Click

This section of the graphic novel marks a turning point for Olive and introduces a new element in the story that allows her to solve her problem. Upon hearing about Aunt Molly’s perspective and taking in details from real-life variety shows, Olive finds a unique path forward that gives her a role in the variety show without compromising her individuality or separating her from her social environment. After the positive dinner with Aunt Molly in the previous section, Olive’s mom and Aunt Molly both recognize that Olive needs the benefit of Aunt Molly’s unique perspective. When Aunt Molly shares more about her own adolescent experiences, the narrative implies that although Olive’s mom was comfortably situated in a group when she was young, Aunt Molly remained committed to expressing her own individuality. For this reason, she delivered an eccentric performance that delighted her even if the audience did not fully understand it, and her lack of concern over the issue of popularity teaches Olive an important lesson about The Tension Between Conformity and Individuality. Olive relates to this impulse to be an individual rather than belonging to a group, and this moment of understanding foreshadows the enthusiasm she will soon feel for the idea of hosting the entire event. As Aunt Molly encourages her to express herself authentically, her guidance inspires Olive to wonder whether she might pursue her own path and feel just as self-assured as her aunt does.

When Aunt Molly introduces Olive to the old televised variety shows, Olive finally finds a pragmatic solution to Learning How to Navigate Cliques, for the role of the host gives her a way to engage with all of the groups in the variety show without committing to join just one clique. By empowering Olive to find her own answers rather than recommending arbitrary solutions, Aunt Molly also demonstrates The Interplay of Maturity and Autonomy and indirectly shows Olive how to forge her own unique place in the world. When Olive no longer feels the pressure to join a particular group, she embraces the freedom to explore who she really is. This dynamic is conveyed as she delights in the confidence of the funny, self-possessed hosts and admires their talent for interacting with all the different groups in the show. Olive particularly enjoys the hosts’ use of humor to introduce the other acts and set them up for success. As she soon realizes, the hosts maintain their own identity while simultaneously supporting and highlighting each participant in a positive way.

In a continuation of the narrative’s use of both realistic and fantastical scenes, Miller illustrates Olive’s inner realizations with another dream sequence. In stark contrast to the last dream, in which she is forced to join different groups in succession, this dream imbues the narrative with a healthier sense of balance and satisfaction by depicting Olive’s success at hosting her own variety show and introducing all the various acts that tried to claim her before. While the last dream ended in her desperate attempt to escape the overwhelming social pressure of multiple groups, this dream ends with Olive surrounded by friends yet remaining a full individual. The dream sequences thus become an abstract forum where Olive can contemplate an idea, experiment with it in a visual form, and decide whether it “clicks.” In the morning, Olive’s mood has radically changed and she feels inspired and energized with a new sense of purpose.

In many ways, the adults in the novel demonstrate The Tension Between Conformity and Individuality, for Aunt Molly and Olive’s mother often act as foils to one another. When the two sisters disagree over whether Olive should host the event, the ensuing conflict demonstrates that Olive’s mom and Aunt Molly hold different strategies for social success. While Aunt Molly supports Olive’s desire to pursue her own idea, Olive’s mother worries that the protagonist’s plan to host means that she will be forced to give up on finding a sense of belonging. The women’s reactions reflect their own childhood experiences, for even as a teenager, Olive’s mother tended to stay within her social group, while Aunt Molly found meaning in individualistic expression. Neither character is wrong in their approach, and they both want Olive to feel comfortable in her social life. However, Olive’s mother oversteps a boundary when she suggests that Aunt Molly is urging Olive to host. She misreads Aunt Molly’s positive influence as overbearing pressure and assumes that the plan is evidence of Olive’s lack of autonomy rather than of her individuality. This dynamic causes Olive and Aunt Molly to take offense, for in reality, Olive is embracing The Interplay of Maturity and Autonomy in her bold decision.

In response to this conflict, Olive finally steps up and uses a more direct communication style to assert her own autonomy. Her new sense of purpose and confidence is demonstrated when she commands her mother and aunt to stop arguing and insists that she wants to host the variety show for her own unique reasons. Her inner growth shines through in her clear and strongly stated reasons for her decision, and she firmly asserts that this is what she wants. She even shares her research with Goober and her family, allowing them to see exactly how she arrived at this conclusion. She immediately starts practicing introducing her family and shows them how much energy and motivation this new idea gives her.