The Friendship War

These chapters begin to explore the idea that objects are thought of differently depending on their intended use. In Chapter 8, Grace and her brother establish that buttons are different from other household items such as lightbulbs, because they are kept for their potential, rather than for a predefined purpose for which they will be used and then discarded. Buttons are also one of the few objects that are kept even when they no longer fulfill the use for which they were created. For example, if they fall off an article of clothing, buttons are kept to possibly be used again rather than being thrown away. As shown through the variety of button styles present in the novel, buttons also range from strictly utilitarian forms to an expression of personality or art. The myriad ways in which buttons may be used or viewed contributes to the popularity they gain at Grace’s school, but although it remains true that Nothing Lasts Forever, the flexible utility of buttons gives them an air of longevity, and the fact that they remain long after someone’s death imbues them with a strange, quasi-immortality of sorts, acquiring new layers of historical meaning as time passes and they are repurposed again and again.

These chapters also introduce the social phenomenon that Grace dubs “button fever” as the trend climbs toward its inevitable peak. The temporary nature of the button fever highlights the fact that Nothing Lasts Forever and demonstrates how popular things can become a fad almost overnight. From a simple show-and-tell at lunch between a few classmates, word soon spreads throughout the school until students from all grades are trading buttons and working buttons into their outfits, even going so far as to create games or artwork from them. Ellie’s button bracelet is the catalyst that inspires the students to find increasingly unique and creative ways to display their buttons. Just like how the button fever gets started in the first place, this one act of creativity quickly sparks others. In addition, catching “button fever” is as quick and unassuming as the buttons themselves. Grace prides herself on her analytical thinking, but when she sees how easy it is to make a good trade in Chapter 10, her analytical mindset gives way to the temptation to keep trading for even better buttons. She catches her thoughts spiraling out of control, which highlights how a fad can get out of hand and foreshadows how the buttons become a problem in later chapters. Grace doesn’t recognize herself when button fever sets in, which reveals that even she is not immune to adopting the latest trend.

Grace’s mindset marks her as a dynamic character and shows how her character starts to change, for her new attitude also has an impact on her relationship with Ellie. The fight between the two girls is triggered by the uniqueness of the pinwheel button, which Grace and Ellie both want for its beauty. For Grace, the pinwheel button also represents her desire to escape from Ellie’s shadow and to feel like she’s the one with the best things for a change. This desire is reflected in Grace’s dogged determination to get the pinwheel button at any cost, even going so far as to stand up to Ellie in a new, assertive way and call her out when she tries to manipulate the situation by using a sleepover as a bribe. This interaction also helps Grace to understand how Ellie flaunts her status to get her way, using charm and tempting offers to get what she wants. Ellie huffing away when she doesn’t get the pinwheel button foreshadows the fact that she will soon escalate the conflict by exiling Grace from her social circle. This dynamic demonstrates the ever-fluctuating Power in Relationships and stands as an intangible obstacle that the girls must learn to overcome.

As an alternative friend for Grace amidst her feud with Ellie, Hank becomes an important character whose kind behavior offers a contrast to Ellie’s many quirks. Whereas Ellie uses charm and status to get what she wants, Hank is happy to keep to himself, making honest trades and pursuing topics that interest him. When Ellie bans Grace from her lunch table in Chapter 13, this decision represents both an escalation of their feud, as well as an opening for new social opportunities, for the two girls are no longer joined at the hip and can make choices independent of each other’s judgment. Hank chooses to leave Ellie’s table and sit with Grace, which prompts the two of them to grow closer throughout the rest of the book and shows how true friends always demonstrate loyalty. With Hank’s helpful kindness, Grace starts to contemplate the difference between a “best friend” and a “better” friend. Her idea of a “best friend” stems from the picture-perfect ideal of friendship, in which two people do everything together and remain inseparable. This is what Grace thought she had with Ellie, but now that the feud has begun, Grace sees that her relationship with Ellie has not been this way for quite some time, if it ever truly was. By contrast, Hank is just being a good friend, even if he isn’t the same kind of friend that Grace believed Ellie to be. This realization shows that the inside of a friendship is more important than how it appears to others. The feud with Ellie allows Grace to grow considerably as a person, for she is forced to take an honest look at her relationship with Ellie. By comparing it to her relationship with Hank, she starts to rebuild her self-confidence, which ultimately helps her to identify the key problems in her friendship with Ellie.