Alex Blackwood Character Analysis: Trust, the Five-Step Plan, and Growth in She Gets the Girl

Overview: The Girl Who Needed a Plan to Trust Herself

Alex Blackwood enters She Gets the Girl as a charismatic but emotionally guarded bartender from Philadelphia, about to start her freshman year at Pitt. After a devastating fight with her girlfriend Natalie, Alex boards a bus to Pittsburgh determined to change. Her plan: help shy Molly Parker win over Cora Myers, hoping that proving herself useful will convince Natalie she can be trusted. Over the course of the novel, Alex's journey becomes less about winning Natalie back and more about learning to be honest with herself and others—especially Molly. She is a co-protagonist, alternating chapters with Molly, and her arc from avoidance to vulnerability forms the emotional spine of the story.

Plot Role: Catalyst and Co-Protagonist

Alex serves as both a catalyst for Molly's growth and a character with her own independent arc. She initiates the five-step plan—a structured approach to help Molly gain confidence and win Cora's attention—but the plan quickly becomes a vehicle for Alex to confront her own fears. In chapter 8, she admits to Molly that she needs “proof” for her “kinda, sorta girlfriend” that she can be a decent person, revealing that her altruism is tangled with self-interest. As the story progresses, Alex's role shifts from manipulative coach to genuine friend and, ultimately, to love interest. Her presence forces Molly out of her shell, but it also forces Alex to examine why she pushes people away.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Alex's primary motivation at the start is to prove to Natalie that she can change. After Natalie accuses her of never being fully committed and predicts she'll end up like her alcoholic mother, Alex resolves to fix herself. This drive manifests in her decision to help Molly—a project that gives her a sense of purpose and a tangible way to demonstrate trustworthiness.

Her traits are revealed through actions:

• Charismatic and flirty: She effortlessly gets a stranger's number in the coffee shop by ordering the same drink and striking up a conversation (chapter 10). This shows her social ease, but also her habit of using charm to get what she wants.

• Perceptive: She reads Molly's anxiety and understands exactly what steps will build her confidence, comparing the process to studying for a final exam (chapter 10).

• Avoidant: She deflects emotional conversations with humor and sarcasm, as seen when she jokes about Molly's virginity at the party (chapter 6) and when she struggles to say “I love you” to Natalie (chapter 1).

• Self-destructive: She sabotages relationships by ghosting people and keeping everyone at arm's length, a pattern she acknowledges after scrolling through her contacts and finding only hookups and strangers (chapter 1).

• Caring beneath the bravado: She takes her mother to rehab after a car accident, despite years of resentment, and she supports Molly through every step of the plan, even when it costs her time and energy (chapter 33).

Chronological Arc: From Running to Running Toward

Alex's arc can be traced through key moments:

1. The Fight and the Bus Ride (Chapter 1): After Natalie confronts her about flirting and lack of commitment, Alex leaves, rides the SEPTA train, and realizes Natalie was right about her isolation. She resolves to change.

2. Arrival and the Promise (Chapter 3): She calls Natalie, apologizes, and promises to prove she can be trusted. Natalie gives her a deadline—September 30th—to show she can be faithful.

3. The Plan Begins (Chapters 7–8): After meeting Molly and realizing Molly likes Cora, Alex proposes the five-step plan. She admits her selfish motive: to prove she can be decent.

4. Building Trust (Chapters 10–12): Alex coaches Molly through practice interactions, but also begins to open up about her own life, including her mother's alcoholism and her job search.

5. The Concert and the Break (Chapter 31): When Natalie visits, Alex tries to talk about her feelings, but Natalie dismisses her. Alex realizes Natalie never wanted to listen—she wanted control. She breaks up with Natalie, admitting she's “crazy about” Molly.

6. The Rehab Intervention (Chapter 33): Alex drives to Philadelphia to pick up her mother from jail after a DUI. She confronts her mother and insists she get help, marking a turning point in Alex's ability to face hard truths.

7. The Library Confession (Chapter 37): Molly finds Alex in the library, and they confess their feelings. Alex reveals step five of her plan: telling Molly how she feels. They kiss, and Alex declares she's in love with Molly.

Relationships: The Mirrors That Force Growth

Natalie: Natalie is both a catalyst and a mirror. She sees Alex's flaws clearly—her flirting, her avoidance, her inability to commit—but she also uses those flaws to control her. In chapter 31, Alex realizes that Natalie never wanted her to open up; she wanted to keep her in a state of guilt. This relationship teaches Alex what love is not: a constant test of trust.

Molly: Molly is Alex's opposite in many ways—shy, anxious, and earnest—but she becomes the person Alex can be vulnerable with. Their partnership starts as a transaction but evolves into genuine friendship and then love. Molly's honesty and patience give Alex permission to drop her defenses.

Her Mother, Donna: Alex's relationship with her mother is the root of her fear of abandonment. She has been the caretaker since her father left, sending money and arranging grocery deliveries (chapter 9). The car accident forces Alex to set a boundary: she tells her mother she will not be in her life unless she gets help. This is a crucial step in Alex's own healing.

Jim: The food truck owner becomes a mentor figure. He drives Alex to Philadelphia, offers practical advice, and tells her she can't be responsible for her mother's recovery (chapter 33). He represents the stable, supportive adult Alex never had.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Themes and Symbol Connections

Alex's story is deeply tied to the novel's central themes. Her fear of commitment stems from her parents' divorce, which taught her that closeness leads to pain—a theme explored in fear of commitment and emotional walls. Her mother's alcoholism is a constant shadow, influencing her belief that she is destined to repeat the pattern, as discussed in parental alcoholism and its intergenerational impact. Alex's initial infatuation with Natalie is based on a need for validation rather than genuine love, contrasting with the real connection she finds with Molly—a theme covered in infatuation versus genuine love. Her five-step plan is an attempt at self-improvement as a means of proving worth, but she learns that worth isn't something to be earned through performance. Finally, her social anxiety and desire for reinvention—seen in her decision to leave Philadelphia—connect to social anxiety and the desire for reinvention.

Questions and Answers

1. Why does Alex create the five-step plan?

Alex creates the plan to prove to Natalie that she can be trustworthy. She tells Molly she needs “proof” that she can be a decent person, and helping Molly win Cora seems like a tangible way to demonstrate change. However, the plan also gives Alex a sense of control and a distraction from her own problems.

1. How does Alex's relationship with her mother affect her behavior?

Alex's mother's alcoholism and her father's abandonment have made Alex afraid of intimacy and commitment. She has learned to keep people at a distance to avoid being hurt, which is why she struggles to say “I love you” to Natalie and why she flirts without forming real connections. Her mother's condition also forces Alex into a caretaker role, making her feel responsible for others' well-being at the expense of her own.

1. What does Alex learn about love by the end of the novel?

Alex learns that love is not about proving oneself or walking on eggshells. Through her relationship with Molly, she discovers that love involves being vulnerable, honest, and comfortable sharing one's life. She realizes that her relationship with Natalie was based on control and fear, not genuine affection.

1. How does Alex's character change from the beginning to the end?

At the start, Alex is avoidant, flirty, and emotionally closed off. By the end, she has confronted her mother, broken up with Natalie, and confessed her feelings to Molly. She moves from running away from her problems to running toward the person she loves, demonstrating significant emotional growth.

1. What role does the five-step plan play in Alex's own development?

The plan is initially a way for Alex to prove her worth to Natalie, but it becomes a vehicle for her own transformation. As she coaches Molly, she learns to be patient, empathetic, and honest. The plan also forces her to spend time with Molly, which leads to her realizing that she wants a real connection, not just a performance. By the end, step five—telling Molly how she feels—becomes the ultimate act of vulnerability.

For a deeper look at how Alex's story concludes, see the ending explained page, or explore common reader questions in the Q&A section.