Chapter 16: I Move — Summary, Themes, and Analysis
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Summary
In Chapter 16, “I Move,” the narrator finds herself in a tense, intimate moment with Lay Li. Lay Li is holding the narrator’s lip gloss and brushing at her hair, a gesture that seems almost sisterly but quickly turns into a power play. The narrator reaches out to take back both the lip gloss and, symbolically, her pride from Lay Li’s hands. The gloss is an inexpensive brand from the neighborhood CVS, a detail that quietly signals the economic reality the narrator lives in.
Lay Li pretends she’s going to keep the gloss, swinging her arms above both their heads in a circling, helicopter-like motion, keeping it just out of the narrator’s reach. She is clearly pleased with herself and giggles at the narrator’s hands waving in the air. The narrator, however, does not crack a smile. Her stillness and lack of reaction only make Lay Li laugh harder, showing all her teeth. The narrator’s frustration shows when she cuts her eyes—a sharp, silent gesture that conveys more than words could.
Lay Li eventually sighs, rolls her eyes, and tosses the gloss back to the narrator. Then she grabs the phone and dials with one last perfect pink nail, a color the narrator thinks matches Essa’s, though she says nothing about it. The narrator puckers her lips and applies the sheen while Lay Li watches with bored eyes. In that moment, the narrator feels like an impostor—as if she is performing a version of herself that doesn’t quite fit.
Key Events
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Lay Li holds the narrator’s lip gloss and brushes her hair, initiating a close but charged interaction.
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The narrator reaches to reclaim the gloss and her pride, but Lay Li keeps it out of reach.
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Lay Li teases the narrator by swinging the gloss above their heads, laughing at her attempts to grab it.
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The narrator refuses to smile, which intensifies Lay Li’s laughter.
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The narrator cuts her eyes in frustration, a silent but powerful reaction.
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Lay Li sighs, rolls her eyes, and tosses the gloss back before grabbing the phone.
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Lay Li dials with a pink nail that the narrator notices matches Essa’s, but she stays silent.
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The narrator applies the lip gloss while Lay Li watches, and the narrator feels like an impostor.
Character Development
This chapter offers a quiet but revealing look at the narrator’s internal state. She is caught between wanting to assert herself and feeling like she doesn’t belong in the moment. Her decision not to smile or speak when Lay Li teases her shows a form of resistance—she refuses to give Lay Li the reaction she’s looking for. Yet the narrator’s frustration is visible in her eyes, and her eventual compliance (applying the gloss) suggests a deeper conflict between her own desires and the pressure to fit in.
Lay Li, on the other hand, is portrayed as playful but also controlling. She uses the lip gloss as a tool to test the narrator’s patience and to assert dominance in their friendship. Her bored expression while watching the narrator apply the gloss hints at a lack of genuine care, making the interaction feel more like a performance than a real connection. The narrator’s observation about Lay Li’s nail color matching Essa’s—and her choice to stay silent—reveals her awareness of the social dynamics around her, even when she doesn’t act on them.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Lip gloss as a symbol is central to this chapter. It represents more than just a cosmetic item; it stands for the narrator’s identity, her pride, and her attempt to present a certain image to the world. The fact that it’s inexpensive and from the neighborhood CVS ties it to class and economic reality, suggesting that the narrator’s sense of self is shaped by her circumstances.
Silence as resistance appears when the narrator refuses to smile or speak. By not giving Lay Li the reaction she wants, the narrator maintains a small measure of control, even as she feels like an impostor. This silence also extends to her decision not to comment on Lay Li’s nail color, which could be a way of protecting herself from further emotional exposure.
Performance of confidence is another motif. The narrator puckers her lips and applies the gloss as if she’s playing a role, but her inner feeling of being an impostor undermines that performance. Lay Li’s bored watching reinforces the idea that this is a show, not a genuine moment of connection.
Friendship tension is evident in the power play over the lip gloss. Lay Li’s teasing is not entirely playful; it carries an edge of control and condescension. The narrator’s frustration and eventual submission highlight the imbalance in their relationship.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 16 is a compact but significant moment in the novel. It captures the narrator’s ongoing struggle with self-image and belonging, showing how small interactions can carry deep emotional weight. The lip gloss becomes a tangible object through which the narrator’s feelings of inadequacy and desire for agency are explored. This chapter also deepens the reader’s understanding of Lay Li’s character and the dynamics of their friendship, setting up potential conflicts or revelations in later chapters. The narrator’s silence and her observation about Essa’s nail color hint at unspoken tensions that may surface as the story progresses.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does the narrator feel like an impostor at the end of the chapter?
The narrator feels like an impostor because she is performing a version of herself that doesn’t feel authentic. She applies the lip gloss while Lay Li watches with bored eyes, and the act feels hollow—she is going through the motions of confidence without actually feeling it. The contrast between her inner doubt and the outward act of applying the gloss creates a sense of falseness.
2. How does Lay Li use the lip gloss to assert power in this scene?
Lay Li uses the lip gloss as a tool for control. By holding it out of reach and pretending she’ll keep it, she forces the narrator to react and then laughs at her attempts to grab it. This teasing establishes Lay Li as the one in charge, and her eventual toss of the gloss back is more about ending the game on her terms than about kindness.
3. What does the narrator’s silence about Lay Li’s nail color reveal about her character?
The narrator notices that Lay Li’s pink nail color matches Essa’s, but she chooses not to say anything. This silence reveals her tendency to observe and internalize rather than confront. It also suggests that she is aware of the social connections and hierarchies around her, but she may not feel secure enough to comment on them, reflecting her broader struggle with self-assertion.