Wintergirls

Throughout the novel, Lia describes herself using fairy tale imagery. Lia sees herself as existing in a fairy tale compared to real life as a way to describe how her eating disorder habits are separated from what is considered normal behavior. As Lia and Cassie’s eating disorders continue, Lia describes, “We held hands when we walked down the gingerbread path into the forest, blood dripping from our fingers. We danced with witches and kissed monsters” (99). Observing the wall of books in her therapist’s office, Lia observes, “None of them is worth reading. There are no fairy tales, no faerie tails, no sword-swinging princesses or lightning-throwing gods. The pages of sentences of words of letters might as well be mathematical equations marching to their logical conclusions” (114). Lia feels like her therapist wants to give clear, easy diagnoses for Lia’s behaviors. In comparison, fairy tale worlds are full of magic and possibilities. When Lia’s mother suggests to Lia that she move back in with her, Lia imagines, “I grow the vines up the legs of my chair and weave them into a tight spiral around me until they reach the ceiling. I can barely see through the thorns” (173). Thorns and vines are imagery often used in princess stories and fairy tales. Lia turns to fairy tales for protection from real life, imagining herself as a princess trapped in one of her stories.

Toward the end of the novel, when Lia is alone at the motel, Lia considers walking into the snow and allowing herself to die. Lia thinks, “Hypothermia and blood loss is like going to sleep, like pricking my finger on a thorn or a spindle” (265). At her most desperate, Lia imagines herself as a princess in a fairy tale to cope with the reality of the situation. Storytelling is often used as a means of escape, and for Lia, imaging herself inside of a fairy tale is a way to mentally remove herself from real life.

After Cassie’s death, Cassie continues to appear to Lia, as if she is haunting her. Lia can tell when Cassie is about to appear because she smells burnt gingerbread cookies. Lia explains to her therapist, “At first I thought it was cookies, Christmas cookies, and that I was smelling it because my stupid brain was trying to trick me into eating. But it’s not that. It’s Cassie. When I smell it, she’s close by” (246). The first night Cassie appears in Lia’s room, Lia notices, “The smell of ginger and cloves and burnt sugar drifts over my bed, the smell of her body wash and shampoo and perfume. She’s coming. Any minute now” (43). Lia could be smelling gingerbread because it is close to Christmastime, and she has associated the timing of Cassie’s death with the upcoming holidays.

Gingerbread is also often used in fairy tales. When Lia is dying alone in the motel room, she thinks, “Lost girls wouldn’t need compasses or maps. They would find gingerbread paths to lead them out of the forest and home again” (266). Lia imagines Cassie calling to her to join her in death, which Lia connects to the idea of following a gingerbread path. Lia associates the smell of gingerbread cookies with Cassie trying to communicate with her, even though Cassie is dead. Lia is struggling to make sense of the death of her friend.