Lisa (Broken) Character Analysis: Sister, Confidante, and Co‑Conspirator

Overview of Lisa in Broken

Lisa appears in Jenny Lawson’s memoir Broken as the author’s sister and most trusted partner in absurdist conversation. Unlike many other figures in the book—including doctors, editors, and online strangers—Lisa occupies a unique space: she shares Jenny’s childhood history, understands the family’s eccentricities, and willingly dives into the kind of whimsical, anatomically‑obsessed dialogue that defines the memoir’s comedic voice. Though she is not a main character in the way Jenny or Victor are, Lisa functions as a mirror and a sounding board, helping Jenny process stress, illness, and memory loss through laughter and mutual recognition.

Plot Role

Lisa’s presence is scattered across several chapters, but she never drives the narrative alone. Instead, she appears in two primary modes:

1. Childhood co‑survivor – In chapters that recall growing up poor in rural Texas, Lisa is Jenny’s partner in hardship. The two are locked out of the house together (The Golden (Shower) Years); later, as adults, they react to their parents’ outhouse with a mix of horror and amusement (The First Satanic Ritual I Ever Saw).
2. Present‑day text‑message conspirator – The most extended scene featuring Lisa is the text exchange in How Do Dogs Know They Have Penises?. Here, the sisters engage in a free‑wheeling debate about dog anatomy, bearcat urine, and the nature of Jenny’s marriage, coining the term “PoMoRo” (Postmodern Romance).

In both modes, Lisa’s role is to validate Jenny’s weirdness and to co‑create the kind of stories that make their shared brokenness feel manageable.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Lisa is never given an internal monologue, so her motivations must be inferred from her dialogue and reported behavior. The clearest trait is a willingness to entertain the absurd. When Jenny texts her about dogs knowing they have penises, Lisa does not dismiss the question; she speculates about balance issues and then pivots to binturongs. This shows intellectual playfulness and an eagerness to build on Jenny’s ideas.

Lisa is also loyal and protective in a quiet way. In the bearcat discussion, she suggests that Victor might secretly be a cursed bearcat—a joke that frames Jenny’s marriage as both romantic and bizarre. The humor never mocks Jenny; it includes her. When Jenny worries about the “PoMoRo” section possibly offending Victor, Lisa keeps the banter going, demonstrating that she trusts Jenny’s judgment and shares her comic sensibility.

Another trait is resilience. The childhood anecdote about being locked out of the house shows that Lisa endured the same cold and neglect as Jenny. Yet years later, when faced with the outhouse and corncobs for wiping, Lisa reacts not with anger but with the line “the prettiest pee ever”—turning a gross experience into a shared family joke. This aligns with the book’s theme that survival itself can be reframed as victory.

Chronological Arc

Lisa does not have a traditional character arc because the memoir is episodic. However, the order of her appearances suggests a deepening of the sisterly bond:

• Childhood (implied from references in Chapters 14 and 29): Lisa and Jenny grow up together, sharing chores, poverty, and strange parental adventures. These shared roots establish their shorthand.
• Adulthood (Chapter 9, present day): The text conversation shows that the sisters still inhabit the same playful mental space. Lisa is fully integrated into Jenny’s life, joking about Victor and the family’s oddities.
• Later adult (Chapter 29, the outhouse scene): Jenny describes a family gathering at their parents’ new land. Lisa is present, and her comment about the urine reinforces that she continues to find humor in discomfort.

In each stage, Lisa is a constant presence, suggesting that family bonds can endure despite mental illness and geographic distance.

Relationships

• With Jenny – The relationship is central. They share a history of poverty and oddity, and they communicate through a private language of jokes and non sequiturs. Jenny trusts Lisa enough to share her most bizarre thoughts.
• With Victor – The sisters often gang up on Victor in a good‑natured way. In Chapter 9, Lisa speculates that Victor might be a bearcat, and Jenny plays along. Victor is the straight man to their shared absurdity.
• With the reader – Lisa is presented as a sympathetic figure, warm and clever. She never appears in a negative light. Her function is to show that Jenny has at least one person who “gets” her completely.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Because Lisa is a supporting character, her decisions are small but thematically significant.

• Choosing to engage in the dog‑penis conversation – This trivial decision produces the chapter’s most memorable exchange and leads to the term “PoMoRo,” which Jenny later uses to describe her marriage. The consequence is a moment of shared creativity that lightens Jenny’s mood.
• Choosing to laugh at the outhouse instead of complain – Lisa’s “prettiest pee ever” remark transforms a degrading moment into a family story. This choice reinforces the memoir’s argument that humor can redeem uncomfortable experiences.
• Staying present despite Jenny’s illness – Although not dramatized, Lisa must know about Jenny’s depression and anxiety. She does not withdraw; she continues texting and attending family gatherings. This steady presence is itself a choice that bolsters Jenny’s sense of community.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Lisa connects to several of Broken‘s central themes, as explored on the book’s themes page.

Lisa also functions as a symbol of unconditional acceptance. In a book filled with judgmental inner voices and medical gatekeepers, Lisa offers a relationship free of shame. She is the living proof that “the light gets in through the cracks.”

5 Book‑Specific Questions and Answers

1. How does Lisa respond when Jenny asks whether dogs know they have penises? Lisa takes the question seriously and speculates about balance issues and leg‑lifting mechanics. She then pivots to discussing binturongs (bearcats) and their buttered‑popcorn‑scented urine. This response shows her willingness to enter Jenny’s absurd framework.

2. What is the “PoMoRo” term the sisters invent, and what does it mean? PoMoRo stands for “Postmodern Romance.” The sisters coin it to describe Jenny and Victor’s relationship, which is confusing, unconventional, and full of inside jokes—like postmodern art. Lisa helps name a genre that captures the strange beauty of their marriage.

3. In the memory chapter, Jenny mentions forgetting entire vacations. How does Lisa fit into the book’s treatment of memory? Lisa appears as a figure who shares Jenny’s past, so when Jenny’s memory fails, Lisa can help preserve their stories. The memoir implies that Lisa is one of the “keepers” of shared history, though the book does not state this directly.

4. Why does Lisa call her own urine “the prettiest pee ever”? After using a primitive outhouse with corncobs for wiping, Jenny and Lisa emerge, and Lisa finds her own pee aesthetically pleasing. The line is a joke—taking a disgusting situation and finding a sliver of beauty or absurdity in it. It perfectly illustrates the book’s message that pleasure can be found anywhere.

5. What role does Lisa play in Jenny’s battle with mental illness? Lisa provides emotional support through humor and non‑judgmental conversation. She does not offer medical advice or therapy; she simply stays connected, whether by texting about dog penises or by showing up at family gatherings. Her steady presence reminds Jenny that she is not alone—a crucial element of coping.

Further Resources

• Return to the main Broken analysis page
• Read about the ending explained
• Browse questions and answers about the memoir’s themes and characters