Themes and message

The main themes Karen Shepard develops in “Popular Girls”   are material culture and teen sexuality. Using motifs like drugs, pop culture, and parental neglect, the story presents the negative consequences of being spoiled by absent, rich parents and living in an environment where teenagers are affected by peer pressure and pushed into experiences they aren’t yet ready for.

Material culture

The theme of materialism, or material culture, is explored through the overall social setting of the story and the central characters, the five popular girls.

The girls belong to the upper-class of New York. They go to a private school, and they have been raised in a wealthy environment. Their rich parents have spoiled them with things (toys, pearls, expensive homes, and branded clothes), but they did not give them the protection and attention they needed.

This has led to the girls becoming obsessed with material things and external appearances. The girls only wear and buy expensive clothes, footwear and jewelry and they look down on those who cannot afford them. Their lives revolve around the things they own and the latest fashion.

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Teen sexuality

Another important theme in the short story is teen sexuality. Throughout the story, a lot of details are given about the girls’ sexual behavior. They use their developing bodies and their sexual appeal to get their own way. They flirt with teachers, with older students, and they use their attractiveness to break up couples.

Although some of them are virgins (l. 48), they act as if they have a lot of sexual knowledge and they experiment with sexual activities, probably as a result of peer pressure and need to feel attractive.

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