Dear Zoe

Tess’s struggle over wanting to be seen and wanting to be invisible is a persistent tension throughout the book. This tension is beautifully expressed in the story of Tess riding in a wheelchair at Disney World, an experience she describes as being “famous and invisible at the same time” (54). Tess simultaneously longs to be known, with her flaws and her traumatic past, and longs to be invisible, keeping the more difficult aspects of her life hidden. At the beginning of the novel, Tess feels “excluded” from her mother and David’s grief, isolated and misunderstood. Furthermore, Tess notes that David’s story about her got her all wrong, indicating his lack of understanding of the “true” Tess. Tess’s departure to her father’s is a way for her to hide, to become “invisible” again.

Ironically, by hiding in her father’s neighborhood, Tess discovers ways to reveal her true self and be fully known. In her father’s neighborhood, the proximity of the houses represents greater intimacy and reflects Tess’s inability to hide or remain isolated. The lack of physical distance indicates that Tess must be seen and perceived and reflects the intimate relationships Tess forms while staying at her father’s, most notably with her father and with Jimmy Freeze.