Prep

Curtis Sittenfeld’s story joins a large canon of novels about boarding schools/prep schools, and one of the most famous books is The Catcher in the Rye (1951) by the 20th-century American author J. D. Salinger. Many critics compare Lee to Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of Salinger’s book, with The Washington Post titling Hank Stuever’s article on Sittenfeld and Prep “Move Over, Holden” (23 Feb. 2015). Holden and Lee have much in common, with their infectiously idiosyncratic voices that can veer from irony to sincerity. Specific moments from Prep echo parts in Catcher. For English class, Lee hands in an essay with a note that she doesn’t care about the topic. For history class, Holden tells his teacher the lectures don’t interest him. Holden helps a student cheat on a writing assignment, and Martha helps Lee cheat on a math exam.

Lee and Holden are far from doubles. They have many differences. While Lee wants to fit into Ault, Holden hates Pencey Prep and publicly expresses his contempt for the place and its students. Pencey expels Holden (as have many other prep schools), but Lee doesn’t want Ault to expel her during “spring-cleaning.” Lee wants to fit in and conform, but Holden is a rebel. Arguably, the character most like Holden is Little Washington. She openly scorns Ault and rebels against the affluent students by stealing from them. She gets expelled.

Another prep-school novel that made a noticeable impact is Marisha Pessl’s Special Topics in Calamity Physics (2006). Like Lee and Holden, Blue van Meer, the protagonist, has a voluble, quirky voice. As with Lee, Blue maintains a jokey relationship with her dad that becomes strained once she enters the prestigious St. Galloway. Pessl adapts the prep-school genre into a mystery with multiple deaths.

Cecily von Ziegesar’s Gossip Girl (2002-2011) novels center on two elite New York City prep schools, the Constance Billard School for Girls and St. Jude’s School for Boys. As with Ault, the atmosphere is fairly toxic, with regular manipulation, scheming, and, as the title implies, gossip. Lee’s character compares to Daniel and Jenny Humphrey, the brother-sister outsiders.