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The vignettes containing Ivy’s Instagram posts are succinct yet vivid descriptions of objects photographed and framed for consumption. They are a motif that represents Ivy’s desire to shape the world’s perception of her. The objects in these posts symbolize different things to Ivy and provide insight into Ivy’s inner self, even if her father struggles to interpret them. Because the Instagram posts are not easily deciphered, they illustrate Ivy’s psychological complexity, reinforcing her round characterization in contrast to stereotypes about young girls.

One example is the post of “a peeled-off pair of ballet tights, splayed on the white tiles of a bathroom floor” (181). While Ivy is a dancer and this picture could convey a love of dance, she chose to post a pair of dirty tights rather than a photo of herself dancing. Combined with the verb “splay,” the image conveys frustration or exhaustion, perhaps a reflection on Ivy’s work in physical therapy and her frustration about her injury. Another example is “a bared collarbone with a seat-belt burn running diagonally across it. The welt shiny with ointment, and pink” (199). This image of her injury is intimate and surprising, reflecting the shock of the car accident in her ordinary life.