Dreamland

An important development in characterization occurs in these chapters as it becomes clear that Caitlin primarily focuses on supporting the people around her rather than focusing on her own feelings or needs. This is emphasized through Caitlin’s interactions with her mother, who she begins to feel responsible for, demonstrating the lack of boundaries that can occur within Parent-Child Relationships. When Caitlin starts cheerleading, she believes that she has unintentionally created “a lifeline” (42) for her mother, and cannot disappoint her mother now or it would destroy Mrs. O’Koren. This kind of responsibility to one’s parent is an unhealthy dynamic that diminishes the young person’s own feelings, and this sets the stage for Caitlin’s relationship to Rogerson, whose emotions also take precedence over Caitlin’s.

Dessen’s portrayal of Caitlin as someone who puts other peoples’ needs above her own is an important aspect of the development of the novel’s conflict: Without worrying about her own feelings, Caitlin is more easily targeted by someone manipulative who will continually push her to see herself as lesser than their partner. The shift that begins to occur between the first and second sections of the novel also highlights the ways that Caitlin cares more about the hurt other people experience than her own. In the end of “Cass,” Caitlin shifts her attention to the pain Rogerson feels after his father hits him, and that is when “Rogerson” begins. At no point does Caitlin spend much time with her own emotions, making it difficult for her to identify when she is in pain. Part of Dessen’s characterization of Caitlin is that she is a teenager who needs more intentional support to process what is going on in her life; rather than getting this help, Caitlin begins smoking marijuana and enters into a risky romantic relationship, without any of the adults in her life really noticing. These factors combine to create the circumstances for Rogerson to be able to take advantage of Caitlin and emphasize The Causes and Impacts of Dating Violence.

The setting of Dreamland creates a bubble for Caitlin and the other teenagers in her life in which appearances must be maintained. When Caitlin chooses to date Rogerson, much like Cass’s choice to date Adam, Caitlin is breaking from the mold that has been laid out. The hesitation of Caitlin’s parents reflects the significance of this kind of choice, yet their insistence on controlling their emotions keeps them from saying much else, illustrating how they value Visibility and Physical Appearances. Similarly, in Caitlin’s interactions with her cheerleading teammates, at parties and at school, she receives cautionary words, but no one is riled up or upset. In this way, the setting circumscribes Caitlin’s decision making, and when she chooses to break out of the path that has been set for her, no one directly tells her not to. The invisible tensions underneath a manicured community like Caitlin’s make it difficult for teenagers to carve their own path in an authentic, healthy way. This is reflected later in the novel by other characters who have chosen to deviate; Caitlin must eventually find a way to navigate her community’s expectations while finding a positive way to be her own person.

In a critical plot point, the first violent scene of the novel occurs in Chapter 6, when Mr. Biscoe hits Rogerson. Caitlin is an unintentional witness, and the interaction shapes the remainder of the novel’s plot. Much like the subtle foreshadowing of Rogerson’s eventual abuse of Caitlin, Mr. Biscoe’s behavior is predicted by Mrs. Biscoe’s descriptions of what he will be upset about. Rogerson’s own behavior also serves as a warning: He both coerces Caitlin to smoke marijuana before they go into the house, and he also frantically smooths his clothes and tucks in his shirt, implying that his behavior somehow predicts a reaction on his parents’ part. The way that Mr. Biscoe speaks to his son is also a critical predictor of Rogerson’s own behavior, and Caitlin’s reaction foreshadows her own pattern of reaction. She is primarily focused on Rogerson, rather than on her own fear or worry, priming her to respond similarly when she faces violence. Dessen’s choice to include this scene creates a novel that develops a complex antagonist: Rogerson is not just a person whose violence and anger come out of nowhere—they are explicit consequences of his own traumatic experiences.