Berkeley High

Freddy’s high school, Berkeley High, is the most prominent setting of the novel, as the novel is about young adults. The setting represents the culmination of the major themes - Relationships are Hard, Diverse Relationships, the Politics of Queer Identity, and Pop Culture - as this is where Freddy and her friends discuss everything from their relationships to lives to politics. The novel portrays all settings of the school - including various classrooms, cafeteria, hallways, and gym. In class and the cafeteria they discuss politics, and in the cafeteria they discuss both politics, pop culture, and relationships. In the locker rooms, Freddy also overhears a disciplinary discussion about bullying and gay identity - another manifestation of the politics of queer identity. The gym is of particular importance as a symbol of the evolution of Freddy and Laura’s relationship. The novel begins in the high school...