“Because there’d been this other person, a person who would have never joined a club or chased a girl who didn’t want to get caught. Who never would have let herself get made a fool of. ” (McCreight, 318). This excerpt captures the feelings of Amelia, the protagonist, as she struggles to find her identity after it had been stolen by her socially elite club, the Magpies. O After her mysterious and premature demise, her mother dives headfirst into the case; determined to prove to everyone that the death was not a suicide but in fact a tragic murder.
I will be questioning the loose ends that the author did not specifically resolve, such as the aftermath of the climactic finale. I will be clarifying how technology played a crucial role in her life and death. Finally, I will be connecting the central idea of status and identity to present day Sartell High School. Though Reconstructing Amelia is intended to be a mystery that the reader has to piece together, Kimberly McCreight leaves some pieces out of the puzzle. * What ever happens to Sylvia after the conclusion of the book?
Amelia’s mother, Kate, finally makes peace with her daughter’s death, even though her murderer, Sylvia, is walking free. The book gives an intimation of Kate recovering by saying; “Still, inch by slow inch, the darkness of her grief had begun to lift or perhaps shift, leaving behind only her longing for Amelia. ” (McCreight 377) but never mentions Sylvia’s fate. I guess Kimberly McCreight has a knack for leaving readers hungry for a sequel that will never come. Furthermore, does Mr. Woodhouse ever forgive Kate for the insults and threats that she throws at him?
In a fit of rage, Kate insults the headmaster of her daughter’s school and accuses him of sexually harassing Amelia. At one point Kate accepts that Amelia’s death could have been a suicide and that Mr. Woodhouse’s harassment was the cause. But once the mystery is solved and Mr. Woodhouse turns out to be completely innocent, he is never mentioned again. Technology impacts Amelia’s life more than Kate could ever know. When Amelia is being harassed by the Magpies, the majority of the harassment come through over her phone.
Amelia is sent numerous texts from anonymous or blocked numbers. This drives her into a state of depression and a sense of not belonging. Though some harassment in school is physical such as throwing her books away and writing derogatory words on her locker, the technological approach is much more efficient because without face to face contact, the oppressor does not feel like they are doing anything wrong. Technology also impacts Amelia when she develops a relationship with “Ben”. Ben is a guise that her father, Jeremy, uses in order to contact and get closer to Amelia.
But this connection severely impacts Amelia’s relationship with Sylvia by distancing the two from each other. Kate is also affected by Amelia’s technology use because Amelia’s old texts, e-mails, and Facebook updates are the only clues that Kate is given to solve the case. By looking at the clues, Kate is able to get a small peek into her daughter’s club, friendships, and dour situation. I think the book purposely emphasizes the importance of technology to an average teenager and how little parents, teachers etc. could potentially know about their secret lives.
Status and identity are two recurring themes in “Reconstructing Amelia. ” The book shows how teens are still being dragged into a hierarchy of status by joining or not joining clubs. This can be connected to Sartell High School’s system as well. Though Sartell does not have such a drastic case, there is no denying that the school has both popular kids and wallflowers. The athletes are typically the respected kids at Sartell but the club members are the respected ones at Grace Hall. Acceptance into clubs in “Reconstructing Amelia” can easily be compared to Sartell’s royalty tradition.
In order to get into a club at Grace Hall, one needs to be selected by his or her peers. At Sartell, homecoming and prom royalty is decided through a voting process. Inevitably, the kids at Grace Hall with a lot of connections will be ‘tapped by the clubs. The kids with a lot of connections and friends at Sartell will be voted into royalty. I would also compare Amelia’s identity crisis to students at Sartell. By joining the Magpies, Amelia ends up succumbing to peer pressure and carries out actions she would norma completely. This is seen every day at Sartell High School.
Students put on a mask while around their friends and beg for their approval. A blogger in the book even says “Since there are 176 definitions of the word loser on urbandictionary. com. Don’t Be a Statistic” (McCreight 1). This post just proves that peers push others to not be themselves a. k. a. losers. * At school, a person that loves chess may learn that chess isn’t cool so they pretend as if they don’t know how to play. In “Reconstructing Amelia”, Amelia learns that no one has ever denied a spot in the Magpies. Therefore, Amelia feels obligated to join the club.
