Arters AP Literature 2016-17 discussion

“Home is where the heart is” is a well-known quote relatable to all ages of the world. For Mclean Sweet, this quote could not be farther than the truth. After moving four different times, she found each move got a tad bit harder. Nothing was ever consistent when constantly having to make new friends, in a new school, in a new state. She questioned herself and the people around her as an outlet for the buildup of anger and rage inside of her. The first person point of view portrays Mclean’s daily thoughts through imagery and teenage girl lingo. For some, her anger and emotions could be expressed as “daily teenage behavior”, but diving into this intriguing read, one can find these emotions are telling a true story of their own.
Sarah Lessin’s “What Happened to Goodbye” followed Mclean Sweet, a 17 year old girl and her whirlwind of a life. What was the “perfect family” had been chewed up and spit all across the country. Her loving parents now do not speak, her new step-siblings steal all the attention, and her dad, her reliable, charismatic dad, is the only stable relationship Mclean has ever had. With every move comes a new name with a new story. On her first move, as “Beth”, she meets Misty and other girls, whom all are nice, but “Beth” has already moved on before actually getting to know them. When she leaves, she receives a letter from these old friends with the simple phrase “what happened to goodbye.” Not only is this phrase the title, but it becomes inscripted in the reader's mind as it is evident Mclean and her dad struggle with holding onto relationships from here on out.
As a reader, one did not have to move several times to be able to relate to Mclean Sweet. Her unpredictable, imperfect teenage moments made any teenage reader giggle and nod along to the ongoing plot. What made Mclean so captivating was her willingness to change for the better of her own life. Throughout each move, she learned more about herself and the important necessities of her life. It was not as much that she became older, and happier, but wiser at the end of each day. With her new found wisdom, she realized how important the one stable relationship was in her life. By the end of her story, she knew her father was the reason she still had hope and longing for her own happy ending.
Fight after fight with her mother supplied her with more anger to handle. She resented her mother for splitting their family up, which opened up another key to Mclean's personality-- her passion. Through hatred or love, Mclean gave it her all. Whether she was afraid to hold anything back because of the lack of time she had in between moves, or she knew it was essential to her happiness, Mclean expressed herself better than the normal teenager. She liked her neighbor, so she kissed him; she hated her mother, so she yelled at her; she loved her father, so she stayed with him. She made moments and memories, both good and bad, for herself that she could hold onto them without anyone interrupting them. She took her unstable life into her own hands, and made it as stable as possible. She had full control of her surroundings,
No matter if Mclean eventually settled or not, Mclean learned, “Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go.”