Essay Questions

What is Snily and how does it situate Tori's character early in the narrative?

Snily is the "couples" nickname that Tori's friends give to the imagined relationship between Snape and Lily in the Harry Potter series of novels. Her friends Becky and Evelyn are engaged in a spirited debate over this topic which Tori views as a complete non-issue. While her friends debate the topic from a narrative perspective, Tori's one single contribution to the conversation is that had Snily actually been a thing, Lily would not have given birth to Harry, This would mean that none of the countless people who died because of his birth would have done so. More importantly to Tori, however, is that this would also mean no Harry Potter books or films or merchandise. Tori's observation that she has ruined the conversation defines the self-awareness of her own non-conformist personality.

What is Solitaire?

Solitaire is a blog run by a mysterious person in the school. Tori specifically characterizes it as a "troll blog" because its sole purpose at first seems to be humiliation and pranks. Gradually, Solitaire grows in popularity and influence among the student body. The pranks dedicated to humiliation ultimately cross for Tori and a number of other students when a genuine injury occurs. This only seems to spur whoever is behind it on to even bigger and more anarchic aims. Eventually, the face behind it is exposed, secrets are revealed, purposes are made clear, and lives will be seriously threatened.

What 19th-century literary heroine does Tori consider overrated and almost villainous?

It is safe to say that Tori is not a fan of Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice. Her teacher actually questions her ability to be a feminist due to the paper she writes on the book in which she argues that Darcy is a misunderstood and underappreciated hero whereas all the women are obsessed with superficial attributes in their quest to find a husband. Indeed, Tori says her problem with the book begins with its famous opening line with which she completely disagrees and therefore cannot buy the premise on which the entire narrative is dependent. Ultimately, Tori argues that Elizabeth Bennett, the novel's protagonist, is unworthy of Mr. Darcy's love and, as such, unworthy of consideration as "one of the strongest women of nineteenth-century literature" as her teacher, Mr. Kent, insists.