History Literature / Deenie

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Deenie is twice described masturbating when she takes a bath, and clearly has an orgasm the second time (she refers to it as "that good feeling.") Blume said in her non-fiction release ''Letters to Judy'' that she wrote those scenes specifically because she and her friends had all, at a younger age than Deenie, discovered masturbation, but were never told anything about it by their mothers.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Deenie mentions touching her "special place" and wondering if that's why she developed scoliosis. Masturbation is even referred to by name in a gym class health discussion in which the teacher tells the students that it's normal and healthy and not to believe the misinformation they've heard about it causing blindness or insanity. Blume said that a principal banned the book from his school library, saying he might've allowed it if the character were a boy.

* SadistTeacher: Deenie’s sewing teacher, Miss Wabash, who is “100 years old and very mean.” When Deenie had forgotten an assignment because she had gotten fitted for and was getting acclimated to her Milwaukee Brace over the weekend, Miss Wabash is unsympathetic. Not only does she consider Deenie’s reason for missing the assignment to be invalid, but she also says that she will only give half credit if Deenie makes up for it.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Deenie, mentions touching her "special place" and wondering if that's why she developed scoliosis. Masturbation is even referred to by name in a gym class health discussion in which the teacher tells the students that it's normal and healthy and not to believe the misinformation they've heard about it causing blindness or insanity. Blume said that a principal banned the book from his school library, saying he might've allowed it if the character were a boy.

* SadistTeacher: Deenie has a minor example of one of these. When she explains that she was unable to turn in an assignment on time because she was being fitted for her Milwaukee brace (in other words, having a medical procedure done, which typically would count as an excused absence), the teacher replies that she does not believe this to be a valid reason for being late, and she shouldn't expect more than a 50% on the assignment.

* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Averted. Though they fit into the roles as the "pretty" one (Deenie) and the "smart" one (Helen), they get along very well despite that, and it's more their mother's pressure for them to be in those roles that causes any friction. Deenie is absolutely horrified when she learns Thelma had Joe sacked from his job and believes it's because they couldn't afford to pay him because of Deenie's medical expenses. It turns out that Thelma had him fired because she found out about Helen and Joe, and Helen rushes to reassure Deenie that it wasn't her fault.

* StageMom: Deenie is blessed with not one, but ''two'' examples of this trope - her actual mother and "Aunt" Rae, who isn't Deenie's blood relative, but rather a close friend of her mother's - whose attitudes toward Deenie's scoliosis and its implications for her modeling career make her situation that much harder to take (both of them implying that Deenie herself is to blame for developing scoliosis). Deenie is relieved towards the end of the book when she realizes she probably won't become a model because of the brace and adds she never really wanted to be one anyway; it was all her mother's idea.

* TraumaticHaircut: Deenie gives herself one out of intense self-loathing upon first getting her brace, leaving literally only a few uneven strands, and refuses to let anyone else touch or fix it. The girl in Deenie's class who idolizes Deenie and copies her at every turn gets her own hair cut in the exact same way, much to Deenie's chagrin.

* GoodParents: Frank Fenner is much more understanding and reasonable in regards to his daughters than Thelma is. While Thelma is emotionally manipulative and reacts to situations as if ''she'' were the victim or tries to even blame Deenie and Helen, Frank is very calm and yet also firm in that Deenie needs to wear her brace which she eventually realizes is right of him to do.

* AbusiveParents: Thelma is controlling and goes into downright bullying toward her daughters if they dare to try and go outside of what ''she'' wants for them (for Deenie to be a model and Helen to focus only on her studies). When Deenie's scoliosis is revealed and Helen is revealed to be attracted to their father's employee, Thelma blames Deenie for her condition and gets Joe fired because she's angry that they're "ruining" what she has planned for them. And in the end, she hasn't changed her mind at all (which is par for the course in most Blume novels).

* ItsAllAboutMe: Thelma is incredibly callous towards Deenie's condition, sobbing all the way home from the doctor's and wailing about how the brace has ruined her plans. She tries to pin down someone to blame for the diagnosis; initially, she blames Deenie, accusing her of slouching deliberately, then Frank's cousin Belle, who'd had an operation for a slipped disc in her back (which Frank correctly points out is completely unrelated) The scoliosis is diagnosed as idiopathic, meaning that there's no definite cause. Deenie comments in her internal narration her mother is acting like ''she's'' the one with the crooked spine.

* MyBelovedSmother: Thelma, hands down. She monitors everything that Deenie eats as well as criticizing her posture while making sure both Deenie and Helen are how ''she'' wants them to be ("Deenie's the beauty and Helen's the brain"). When Helen mentions trying out for the cheerleading team, Thelma scolds her for the very notion, saying that Helen didn't need to be jumping around yelling cheers because of her brain. When Deenie is revealed to have tried out for cheerleading, Thelma scolds her for doing so as well, saying that if Deenie had made the team, she wouldn't have time for a modeling career.

* BittersweetEnding: Deenie still has to wear her brace, and her mother refuses to back down on pressuring her and Helen to do what ''she'' wants. Even so, Helen refuses to take their mother's nonsense, and Deenie knows that in a few years the brace will come off and she will have the freedom to pursue her choices in a career, and men if she wishes.

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Thelma Fenner has very fixed ambitions for her daughters. Deenie is thirteen years old and gorgeous. Her mother wants her to be a model, but Deenie's not so sure she wants to be one. When Deenie is diagnosed with scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, she's almost relieved at the idea of no more traipsing around to interviews at modeling agencies or living up to her mother's expectations. However, she has to wear an ugly, uncomfortable back brace for the next four years. Not only that, but she's convinced that it will put an end to normal teenage life, including her blossoming relationship with her crush, Buddy Brader.

* TrueCompanions: Janet and Midge are honest and supportive of Deenie, no matter what. They bought her a nightgown and treat her to a movie when Deenie thought she could just get her scoliosis fixed with an operation and when Deenie gets her brace, they still remain friends with her. Barbara also becomes one, especially after Deenie develops a rash from not wearing a protective undershirt under her brace.

Mrs Fenner has very fixed ambitions for her daughters. Deenie is thirteen years old and gorgeous. Her mother wants her to be a model – but Deenie's not so sure. So when she's diagnosed with scoliosis – curvature of the spine – Deenie's almost relieved. No more traipsing round modelling agencies, no more living up to her mother's expectations. But she has to wear an ugly, uncomfortable back brace for the next four years. And she's convinced that it will put an end to normal teenage life – including her blossoming relationship with Buddy Brader . . .

* BittersweetEnding: Deenie still has to wear her brace, and her mother refuses to back down on pressuring her and Helen to do what ''she'' wants. Even so, Helen refuses to take their mother's nonsense, and Deenie knows in a few years the brace will come off and she will have the freedom to pursue her choices in a career, and men if she wishes.

** When Frank fires Joe from his job at the service station, Helen claims that it was because she was involved with him. Thelma insists that it was because of doctor's bills that Joe had to be let go. Deenie fears that Helen will hate her because she is the one who's always seeing doctors, but Helen straight up tells her that it's not her fault and not to believe anyone who tells her that it is.
* DaddysGirl: Deenie's far closer with her father than her mother, mostly because he doesn't police her diet and posture and gives her breathing room to be a kid. The only time he puts his foot down with her is when he insists she wears the Milwaukee brace to Janet's party. Although Deenie is initially upset, she later comes to admit that he's right.

* [[DatingWhatDaddyHates Dating What Ma Hates]]: Helen falls for a mechanic at her father's garage called Joe, but Thelma doesn't want Helen dating let alone someone who works at a garage [[FauxHorrific with dirty fingernails]] and has Joe fired to keep him away from her, leading Helen to blow up at her mother and give her a long-overdue TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.
* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Averted. Though they fit into the roles as the "pretty" one (Deenie) and the "smart" one (Helen), they get along very well despite that and it's more their mother's pressure for them to be in those roles that causes any friction. Deenie is absolutely horrified when she learns Thelma had Joe sacked from his job and believes it's because they couldn't afford to pay him because of Deenie's medical expenses. It turns out Thelma had him fired because she found out about Helen and Joe, and Helen rushes to reassure Deenie it wasn't her fault.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Thelma reacts with an incredibly lack of sympathy towards Deenie's condition, sobbing all the way home from the doctor's and wailing about how the brace has ruined her plans. She even acts like it's Deenie's fault and even a cousin of Frank's (who had a slipped disc which is completely unrelated) gets blamed despite the scoliosis being diagnosed as idiopathic (meaning that there's no definite cause). Deenie comments in her internal narration her mother is acting like ''she's'' the one with the crooked spine.

* MyBelovedSmother: Thelma, hands down. She monitors everything that Deenie eats as well as criticizing her posture while making sure both Deenie and Helen are how ''she'' wants them to be ("Deenie's the beauty and Helen's the brain").
* NeverMyFault: Thelma thinks she knows what's best in regards to her daughters (i.e. what ''she'' wants them to be) and will point fingers at everyone else when things don't go her way from her husband to her daughters themselves. When Deenie gets diagnosed with scoliosis and Helen has a crush on the young man working at her father's garage, she goes hysterical and complains if it's a bad thing to want the best for her daughters.
* NoPeriodsPeriod: Averted when Deenie gets her period after she gets her brace on and can't even get the sanitary napkin without having to bend at her knees because her brace prevents her from bending at the hips.
* PrecociousCrush: Janet has one on Harvey Grabowski, a ninth-grade boy, to the point she follows him around a store and thinks telling Deenie she touched his sleeve is incredibly exciting news. She gets over it when she and Steve Hildrick become more serious.
* SadistTeacher: Deenie has a minor example of one of these. When she explains that she was unable to turn in an assignment on time because she was being fitted for her Milwaukee brace (in other words, having a medical procedure done and therefore on an excused absence), the teacher replies that this does not sound like a reason to miss class and she shouldn't expect more than a 50% on the assignment.
* ShoutOut: Deenie is name after a character Creator/NatalieWood played in a movie ''Film/SplendorInTheGrass''. Her crush Buddy could also be nicknamed Bud, the love interest in that story, and Deenie notes the possibility of a Deenie and Bud romance in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
* StageMom: Deenie is blessed with not one, but ''two'' examples of this trope - her actual mother and "Aunt" Rae (who isn't Deenie's blood relative, but a close friend of her mother's) - whose attitudes toward Deenie's scoliosis and its implications for her modeling career make her situation that much harder to take (both of them implying that Deenie herself is to blame for developing scoliosis). Deenie is relieved towards the end of the book when she realises she probably won't become a model because of the brace and adds she never really wanted to be one anyway, it was all her mother's idea.
* TookALevelInKindness: Deenie is quite popular at the start of the book because she's pretty, however she exhibits minor AlphaBitch tendencies and looks down on the "handicapped kids" quite a bit. After she gets the brace and people start treating her differently, she grows to empathise them with a lot more, even if she does also say that she will eventually grow out of her brace but they are unlikely to grow out of their conditions. She also befriends Barbara Curtis, a girl in her grade who gets bullied for her eczema.
* TraumaticHaircut: Deenie gives herself one out of intense self-loathing upon first getting her brace, leaving literally only a few uneven strands, and refuses to let anyone else touch or fix it. The girl in Deenie's class who idolizes everything Deenie does then proceeds to have her own hair cut in the exact same way, much to Deenie's chagrin.
* TrueCompanions: Janet and Midge are honest and supportive for Deenie no matter what. They bought her a nightgown and treat her to a movie when Deenie thought she could just get her scoliosis fixed with an operation and when Deenie gets her brace, they still remain friends with her. Barbara Curtis also becomes one when she helps Deenie out after she gets her brace.

* DaddysGirl: Deenie's far closer with her father than her mother, mostly because he doesn't police her diet and posture and gives her breathing room to be a kid. The only time he puts his foot down with her is when he insists she wears the Milwaukee brace to the school dance and although Deenie is initially upset, she later comes to admit that he's right.

* BittersweetEnding: Deenie still has to wear her brace, and her mother refuses to back down on pressuring her and Helen to do what ''she''' wants. Even so, Helen refuses to take their mother's nonsense, and Deenie knows in a few years the brace will come off and she will have the freedom to pursue her choices in a career, and men if she wishes.

* TheGloriousWarofSisterlyRivalry: Averted. Though they fit into the roles as the "pretty" one (Deenie) and the "smart" one (Helen), they get along very well despite that and it's more their mother's pressure for them to be in those roles that causes any friction. Deenie is absolutely horrified when she learns Thelma had Joe sacked from his job and believes it's because they couldn't afford to pay him because of Deenie's medical expenses. It turns out Thelma had him fired because she found out about Helen and Joe, and Helen rushes to reassure Deenie it wasn't her fault.

* SadistTeacher: Deenie has a minor example of one of these in the book of the same name. When she explains that she was unable to turn in an assignment on time because she was being fitted for her Milwaukee brace (in other words, having a medical procedure done and therefore on an excused absence), the teacher replies that this does not sound like a reason to miss class and she shouldn't expect more than a 50% on the assignment.

* TrueCompanions: Janet and Midge are honest and supportive for Deenie no matter what. They bought her a nightgown and treat her to a movie when Deenie thought she could just get her scoliosis fixed with an operation and when Deenie gets her brace, they still remain friends with her.

* [[DatingWhatDaddyHates Dating What Ma Hates]]: Helen falls for a mechanic at her father's garage called Joe, but Thelma thinks Helen can do better and has Joe fired to keep him away from her, leading Helen to blow up at her mother and give her a long-overdue TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.

* MyBelovedSmother: Thelma, hands down. She monitors everything that Deenie eats as well as criticizing her posture while making sure both Deenie and Helen are how ''she'' wants them to be ("Deenie's the looks and Helen's the brain"). When Deenie gets diagnosed with scoliosis and Helen has a crush on the young man working at her father's gas station, she goes hysterical and complains if it's a bad thing to want the best for her daughters.
* PrecociousCrush: Janet has one on Harvey Grabowski, a ninth-grade boy, to the point she follows him around a store and thinks telling Deenie she touched his sleeve is incredibly exciting news.

* ShoutOut: Deenie is name after a character Creator/NatalieWood played in a movie ''Film/SplendorInTheGrass''. Her crush Buddy could also be nicknamed Bud, the love interest in that story, and Deenie notes the possibility of a Deenie and Bud romance in New Jersey.

* TrueCompanions: Janet and Midge are honest and supportive for Deenie no matter what.

* ADatewithRosiePalms: Deenie, mentions touching her "special place" and wondering if that's why she developed scoliosis. Masturbation is even referred to by name in a gym class health discussion in which the teacher tells the students that it's normal and healthy and not to believe the misinformation they've heard about it causing blindness or insanity. Blume said that a principal banned the book from his school library, saying he might've allowed it if the character were a boy.
* BookDumb: Deenie comments that she rarely cracks the books and generally gets left alone if she doesn't bring home anything lower than a C, whereas Helen is given excessive amounts of homework because she's supposedly a genius. This starts to change as Deenie begins reading about her scoliosis and later says she might want to be an orthopaedist someday.
* DatingWhatDaddyHates: Helen falls for a mechanic at her father's garage called Joe, but Thelma thinks Helen can do better and has Joe fired to keep him away from her, leading Helen to blow up at her mother and give her a long-overdue TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Thelma reacts with an incredibly lack of sympathy towards Deenie's condition, sobbing all the way home from the doctor's and wailing about how the brace has ruined her plans. Deenie comments in her internal narration her mother is acting like ''she's'' the one with the crooked spine.

* ShoutOut: Deenie is name after a character Creator/NatalieWood played in a movie ''Film/SplendorInTheGrass''.

* TraumaticHaircut: Deenie gives herself one out of intense self-loathing upon first getting her brace, leaving literally only a few uneven strands, and refuses to let anyone else touch or fix it. The girl in Deenie's class who idolizes everything Deenie does then proceeds to have her own hair cut in the exact same way, much to Deenie's chagrin.

* LoveableJock: Buddy Brader, a boy Deenie has a huge crush on, is mentioned as being athletic and popular and Deenie worries immensely if he'll still like her with the brace. Turns out he doesn't mind at all.