Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

“Nowadays our mothers act like friendship is an elective—falling somewhere down the list after husbands, children, career, home, money. Somewhere between outdoor grilling and music appreciation. That’s not how it is for us.”

Carmen understands that the complexities of adulthood can strain friendships, but she is determined that this won’t be the case for her and her friends. Their bond is special and plays a central role in all their lives. This plays out in the novel and is reaffirmed as each girl matures on their own but maintains strong bonds to one another.

“The Pants are like an omen. They stand for the promise we made to one another, that no matter what happens, we stick together.”

Here, Carmen identifies the power of the traveling pants as a symbol. Though the girls credit the pants for helping them stay close, the effort that they put into their relationships is the reason they remain strong, not any magic qualities inherent to the pants. The pants are simply a physical manifestation of their shared friendship and can be passed from person to person while they are on their individual summer adventures. The pants are an example of magical realism and the only magical aspect of the novel.

“They always had dinner at a restaurant she picked. She tried to choose places he would like. She always checked his face carefully as he studied the menu and then as he took his first bite. She hardly tasted her own food.”

Carmen feels like she must continually win over her father to receive his love, to the point that she lets her own identity be subsumed by what she thinks he wants. Over the course of the summer, this dynamic will cause problems for her because she hasn’t learned how to express herself honestly to him.