Chapter 55 'Platonic Magic': Summary, Themes, and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

On Christmas Day, Georgia and Ellis sit in a nearly empty McDonald's car park, eating fast food while still in their pajamas and dressing gowns. Georgia has texted her parents about her whereabouts and received a thumbs-up emoji from her dad, signaling they aren't concerned. During the short drive to the restaurant, Ellis filled the time with mundane small talk, leaving Georgia unable to ask the personal questions weighing on her mind—specifically, whether Ellis is like her.

Once they're settled with their food, Georgia finally asks about Ellis's parents. Ellis explains that her parents still treat her like a teenager and regularly criticize her for not having a partner. Georgia asks whether Ellis ever believes her parents' criticisms—whether she ever feels her life is worthless without a partner or children. Ellis admits she does feel that way occasionally, but she knows it's untrue.

Ellis then shares her life story. She never had real crushes as a child, sometimes mistaking friendship or admiration for romantic feelings. Growing up in a large, loving family where dating was the norm, she assumed relationships were simply what people did. She tried dating and having sex through her teens and twenties, especially during her modeling career, because it felt expected of her. But she hated every moment of it, describing an underlying feeling of wrongness and almost disgust. She kept hoping she might be picky, or that the right person would come along, but that never happened.

Ellis also describes the fear she felt—the terror of being endlessly alone, partnerless until death. She notes that people pair up partly because being human is frightening and easier with company. But over time, Ellis has learned that friendship can be just as intense, beautiful, and endless as romance. She has found love in her friends, her paintings, and herself, and she no longer feels hopeless about her identity.

Encouraged by Ellis's openness, Georgia confesses that she thinks she's like Ellis—that she doesn't feel romantic or sexual attraction. She explains the terms aromantic and asexual, noting that she's both. Ellis is surprised but accepting, and reveals that this makes three of them, since Georgia's friend Sunil is also asexual. Ellis tells Georgia she's lucky to know about her identity at a young age, having wasted years herself trying to be someone she wasn't.

Ellis offers Georgia advice: give her friendships the magic she would give a romance, because for people like them, friendships are even more important. They joke about Ellis painting a piece called Platonic Magic that only aromantic asexual people would understand. As they drive back, Georgia reflects on the magic she might find if she looks harder.

Key Events

Georgia and Ellis share a Christmas Day meal at a McDonald's car park
Georgia finally asks Ellis about her parents and their criticism of her relationship status
Ellis reveals she occasionally feels worthless without a partner but knows it's untrue
Ellis recounts her history of forcing herself into dating and sex because it was expected
Ellis describes her fear of being alone forever and her eventual acceptance
Georgia comes out to Ellis as aromantic asexual
Ellis reveals she shares the same identity, and mentions Sunil makes three of them
Ellis advises Georgia to give friendships the magic she would give a romance
They joke about a painting called Platonic Magic
Georgia reflects on the possibility of finding that magic

Character Development

Georgia takes a significant step in this chapter by coming out to Ellis. She has said the words aromantic asexual before, but each time she says them they feel more natural. Her confession is hesitant—she turns red as she speaks—but Ellis's acceptance helps ease the nerves in her chest. Georgia also begins to see herself as stronger than she thought, realizing she never let herself go as far as Ellis did in forcing relationships.

Ellis reveals a vulnerable side, admitting she still occasionally feels worthless without a partner. Her story of trying to force herself into relationships and hating it mirrors what Georgia fears for her own future, but Ellis's journey to self-acceptance offers hope. She has moved from hopelessness to a place where she can joke about her identity and offer wisdom to her younger cousin.

Sunil is mentioned but not present; his earlier guidance to Georgia—that she doesn't have to do anything, just be—is echoed in Ellis's advice and reinforces the theme of finding community.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Platonic magic is the central concept of the chapter. Ellis's phrase—giving friendships the magic one would give a romance—reframes friendship as equally valuable to romantic love, particularly for aromantic asexual people.

Coming out is shown as a gradual process. Georgia's words feel more at home each time she says them, suggesting identity is something that becomes more comfortable with practice and acceptance.

Fear of being alone is explored through Ellis's admission that she feared being endlessly alone and through Georgia's worry that she might be phased out of her family if she never marries or has children.

Forced conformity appears in Ellis's account of dating and having sex because it was what everyone else did, and in her parents' criticism of her relationship status.

Being vs. doing is a subtle motif: Sunil told Georgia she doesn't have to do anything, just be, while Ellis admits she finds doing nothing boring. The tension between these perspectives is resolved in Ellis's advice to channel energy into friendships.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point for Georgia's self-acceptance. It's the first time she comes out to a family member, and Ellis's response—acceptance, humor, and shared experience—models the kind of community Georgia has been seeking. Ellis's life story serves as both a warning about wasted years of forced conformity and a promise that self-acceptance is possible. The chapter also introduces the concept of platonic magic, which becomes a guiding idea for Georgia's relationships going forward. The fact that Ellis, Sunil, and Georgia are all aromantic or asexual reinforces the theme that they are not alone.

Study Questions

1. Why does Ellis tell Georgia she is lucky to know about her identity?

Ellis says this because she wasted years of her life trying to force herself into dating and relationships before realizing she was aromantic asexual. She had to go through the painful process of trying to be someone she wasn't, while Georgia has the vocabulary and understanding at a much younger age. Ellis's jealousy is gentle—she's glad Georgia has this knowledge, even if Georgia doesn't yet feel lucky to have it.

2. What does Ellis mean by platonic magic?

Ellis means the idea of giving friendships the same intensity, devotion, and importance that people typically give to romantic relationships. For aromantic asexual people, friendships are not a consolation prize but the primary source of love and connection. Ellis suggests this magic is something only people like them can fully understand, which is why she jokes that her painting would only be appreciated by other aromantic asexual people.

3. How does Georgia's confession to Ellis differ from her earlier attempts to talk about her identity?

Georgia's confession to Ellis is more direct and uses specific terminology. She explains the difference between aromantic and asexual, and she says the words out loud to a family member for what she believes is the first time. The chapter notes that each time she says the words, they feel more at home, suggesting that speaking her identity aloud is helping her accept it. Ellis's positive response—humor, acceptance, and shared experience—also contrasts with Georgia's earlier fears about how people might react.