Big Little Lies

The school serves as the central setting for all the drama in the story. Not just for the children, but the adults too. Early on, Renata and Madeline bicker childishly with each other over Amabella passing out invitations on the playground. Madeline overdramatically declares her feud with Renata a war. Later, when Jane argues with Harper during reading time, Jane kicks at the sand in frustration, not unlike a child throwing a temper tantrum. Setting these scenes of parental conflict at the elementary school suggests that the adults are acting childishly. Furthermore, the climactic trivia night also takes place at the school. Appropriately, from the moment the parents start to show up for the festivities, they start to learn. The frequent conflicts at the school with both children and adults imbue it with significance. 

Characters often reflect on or suppress their memories. Madeline’s primary conflict revolves around her changing relationship with Abigail. In Madeline’s chapters, she often thinks back on raising Abigail as a single mom before marrying Ed. When Abigail plans to move in with her dad, Madeline painfully thinks, “Remember, Abigail? Remember us?” (157). Madeline’s happy memories makes the present difficult for her, resulting in a long and drawn out familial conflict.