Every Last Word

The theme of the bifurcated self is underscored with the motif of name changing—that is, a character who has two different names that changes depending on the context. There are several characters outside of Samantha/Sam that have two different names: AJ/Andrew Olsen, Sue/Shrink-Sue, and Caroline/Caroline Madsen. The rejection or embrace of a name can indicate which of the selves is being seen and accepted. Caroline, Sue, AJ, and the members of the Poet's Corner embrace “Sam,” while the Crazy Eights reject the nickname: “‘It was nice to meet you, Sam.’ Sam. Last year, I asked the Eights to call me Sam. Kaitlyn laughed and said that’s her dog’s name, and Olivia said it’s a guy’s name, and Alexis declared that she would never, ever go by Alex” (28). Toward the end of the narrative, Samantha asks Hailey to call her "Sam," to which the Crazy Eights member accepts. Sue/Shrink-Sue is a playful duality, but nonetheless underscores the notion of two selves. Sue is the devoted woman who comes to Samantha's aid, while "Shrink-Sue" is the therapists with whom Samantha holds weekly sessions. With AJ/Andrew, his duality is rooted in the past: Andrew is the stutterer that was mercilessly teased in fourth grade, while AJ is the poet.