Characters
“Popular Girls” by Karen Shepard is structured as a self-portrait of the five girls and, as a result, their characterization is key to the plot. In what follows, we will look at the girls as a collective character, but we will also outline some of their individual traits.
The girls
The five girls that the story follows are Stephanie, Kaethe and Alina, CJ, and Sydney. Most of their characterization is conveyed collectively (they share common traits), but occasionally the narrator also gives some individual details about them. First, we will look at these individual traits and then we will focus on all five girls as a collective character.
Stephanie is the leader of the group—“Stephanie is at the head” (l. 76)—and the tallest (l. 80) of the girls. She comes from a rich family connected to the royalty of Holland, she studied ballet, and wants to be a fashion designer: “She danced for the New York City Ballet. She was in The Nutcracker when she was eight and nine. She gave up ballet at thirteen. Her mom was pissed. Stephanie says she's going to be a fashion designer.” (ll. 82-85)
Also, she is very concerned with being fashionable and likes to wear expensive jewelry.
Kaethe is said to have had sexual relations with another student: “Kaethe, people say, slept with Treat Williams.” (ll. 50-51).
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Outer characterization
The girls’ collective outer characterization informs us that they are in the tenth grade at a private school in New York and that they come from rich families. Their physical portrait is conveyed on several occasions to accentuate the fact that they are materialistic and wear the latest fashion:
“Our hair is blonde or brown or black. Rarely red, rarely curly. It's thick and straight, and falls back into place after we run our fingers through it...” (ll. 2-4)
“To school we wear sweater vests from Benetton in maroon and forest and bright pink over men's white T-shirts.” (ll. 98-99)
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Inner characterization
The girls’ inner characterization reveals that they are mean to other students and have a superior, arrogant attitude: “You can sit on these benches too, but we do not notice you. Last fall we excised some of you from our group by taking you aside five minutes before chapel and saying ‘It just isn't working out.’ ” (ll. 14-16)
They have little respect for teachers and flirt shamelessly with them but also with older students or the boyfriends of other girls: “We listen to the tribulations of other girls' boyfriends. The boys muse about affairs. We suggest ourselves.” (ll. 40-41); “If Mr. Bleakley catches us, we can flirt with him until he lets us go with a warning.” (ll. 70-72)
Although underage, the girls smoke, drink, do drugs, and go to clubs using fake IDs: “We have fake IDs from the fake-ID place on Eighth Street.” (ll. 59-60); “We get stoned in walk in closets organized by color and in guest rooms we've never seen used.” (ll. 94-95)
However, deep down inside the girls are disappointed with the world and frustrated with their parents who give them material things instead of love and attention:
They mystify and enrage and enthrall us. Stimulate and bewilder us, frustrate and entertain us. Very rarely they surprise us. Mostly they bore us. We evade them, slipping around corners like cats, not wanting to confront their gifts and legacies. We tell each other they don't know the real us. We worry that even they can see through us. (ll. 141-145)
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