Family of Liars

Lawrence “Pfeff” Pfefferman is one of the boys that visits Beechwood Island in the summer of 1987 and plays the role of Carrie’s love interest for much of the text. Carrie murders Pfeff after he reveals himself to be capable of sexual assault, cheating, and lies. Pfeff is a complex character, at once flighty and charming yet capable of true darkness. When Carrie first meets him, she is taken by him at once and notes he “reaches out to touch the beach roses. He leaps up to tap the branch of a tree that arches over the walk” (68). There is something innocent and carefree about Pfeff that draws Carrie in, illustrated in the gentle way he moves through the world. Pfeff confides in Carrie, telling her about his academic insecurities and the pressures he feels to conform to his family’s expectations for his life when he would rather travel the world.

Pfeff, or rather Carrie’s perception of Pfeff, transforms throughout the work as he reveals the darker side of his nature underneath his charming exterior. Pfeff takes advantage of Carrie the first night they have sex. Earlier in the evening, he points out that she is drunk and then all but begs her to come back to his room with him later on, which she does. His insatiable need for sex drives his actions through much of the rest of the text. This includes his decision to begin hooking up with Penny and his capacity for sexual assault, which leads to his death. Pfeff, as a character, represents the complexity of humans; humans are not all one thing or another, all good or all evil. Later on in life, Carrie reflects: “Oftentimes, I think of his deep love for life, of his enthusiasm and his generosity, his shame and his small kindnesses [...]. Either way, I do not think he deserved to die” (271). Carrie is unsure whether Pfeff, had he lived, would have redeemed himself or learned right from wrong. She decides that she does think he could become a good man and that even if he had not, his death was unwarranted. 

Penny is Carrie’s younger sister. Throughout their childhood and teenage years, Carrie is jealous of Penny’s beauty. Carrie describes Penny early on as: “She wants things to happen easily, without conflict [...]. Signs of unrest and turmoil bother Penny” (36). Penny keeps her true emotions close to her chest and often chastises Carrie for being too emotional.

Penny shows her complexity and similarity to their mother in that she, too, is unable to live a truly authentic life. Penny reveals that she and her friend Erin have been dating and that she has been romantically interested in girls for a long time. Penny explains that she cannot be out as her authentic self or even fully explore and understand her sexuality because she worries about her parents’ reaction: “I know Daddy and mother will be just–ugh [...]. I don’t want to disappoint them” (175). In keeping with her character, Penny would rather hide her true feelings for girls than advocate for herself or live authentically despite the ramifications.

Carrie’s jealousy turns into something more sinister when Carrie kills Pfeff in a fit of rage. She has to confront the difficult realization that she felt capable of killing Penny at the moment, too. Penny views the attack as Carrie protecting her, but Carrie knows “[she] was not rescuing Penny” (268). Penny brings out a profound insecurity in Carrie that she will never be able to heal fully. But later in her life, Carrie decides that “although I will never love Bess and Penny free of resentments and obligations and shared secrets and guilt, I will, in a small way, in a limited way, move on” (289). Carrie chooses her sisters, including Penny, and remains loyal to them despite their relationship challenges.