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Little Fires Everywhere: Here's How the Characters on the Show Compare to Those in the Book

06/04/2020 - 12:57 AM

Now that Hulu has brought Celeste Ng's book Little Fires Everywhere [1] to the small screen, we've been keeping an eye on how the adaptation differs from the novel. The series has stayed pretty true to the book [2], especially in its essence, but it's made some modifications that (depending on how you look at it) have either helped or harmed the experience of watching the drama unfold.

The story, which takes place in Shaker Heights, OH, in the '90s [3], details the events that occur after a woman named Mia Warren (Kerry Washington [4]) and her daughter, Pearl Warren (Lexi Underwood), move to the picture-perfect town. There, they meet the Richardson family: spouses Elena (Reese Witherspoon [5]) and Bill (Joshua Jackson [6]) and their children, Lexie (Jade Pettyjohn), Trip (Jordan Elsass), Moody (Gavin Lewis), and Izzy (Megan Stott). What starts off as a relatively paltry encounter eventually develops into a power struggle that offers nuanced commentary on race, class, privilege, and motherhood [7].

Things intensify when a woman named Bebe Chow (Lu Huang) — who leaves her baby, May Ling, at a fire station — wants custody back after a family, the McCulloughs, takes the child in. The town is split in opinions, and Mia and Elena take sides: Mia believes May Ling deserves to be with her birth mother, and Elena believes the McCulloughs can provide the best life for May Ling.

While all of this is going on, we explore each character's background and see that there's more to everyone than meets the eye. And the more they try to put on a front, the more they begin to unravel. Seeing how it all plays out on the show versus in the book has been interesting, especially when it comes to the Warren and Richardson families. So if you're wondering exactly how they differ, look ahead to see a book-to-TV comparison of each personality.

Mia Warren (Kerry Washington)

In the book: Mia has a quieter nature and chooses not to become attached to people. That isn't to say she isn't opinionated. She's the one who urges Bebe to fight for custody of her baby, May Ling, and she even raises some concerns about Pearl spending so much time with the Richardsons. But there's a sort of subtle passion and quiet wisdom about her demeanour. For instance, when she finds out about Lexie's abortion, she takes a gentler approach to helping her recover, even though Lexie got Pearl wrapped up in the situation.

On the show: On screen, Mia is much more overt with her thoughts and expressions. She vehemently tells Bebe to get May Ling back, doesn't bite her tongue as much when it comes to calling out Elena, and slams Lexie for using Pearl's name on the abortion papers. She's also very explicit about class and racial divisions.

Part of this likely has to do with Mia being Black. Ng never discloses her race in the book, leaving it open for interpretation. But with a clear and distinct identity, it's easier to have Mia's character take a particular stance on how she interacts with the Shaker Heights residents, specifically Elena. But that's the thing — it's easy. Rather than allowing viewers to detect the fray, the series spells everything out. For those who like an unambiguous tussle, this approach is effective. But for those who enjoy discerning complexities that simmer rather than erupt, Mia's disposition feels a bit insipid. The gist of it, however, is completely justified.

On the show, Mia is also more involved with people. Case in point: she gets drunk with Elena, which she doesn't do in the book (probably because it just seems too out of character and even a little unnecessary). Additionally, Mia sleeps with her Lucky Palace restaurant manager, even though Ng suggests she's asexual in the novel. Although the sex scene is meant to serve as a foil to Elena, who literally schedules intercourse with her husband, it almost mars the mystery of Mia. A woman who can have sex without getting attached? Even in the '90s that wasn't very cryptic or groundbreaking, but a woman who doesn't partake in sexual relations nor desires them? That's someone with a different kind of power worth exploring.

Pearl Warren (Lexi Underwood)

In the book: Because Pearl and her mom are nomads, one would think that they'd both be keen to the ways of the world. But even though (or because) they move around a lot, Pearl remains naive about a lot of things. The lack of stability in her life drives her straight into the seemingly comforting arms of the Richardsons, which begins to change her. However, it takes a while for that to drive a wedge between Pearl and Mia, and even when that happens, their bond is still strong.

On the show: Pearl's innocence is apparent, and she's painfully incognizant and/or tolerant of the Richardsons' microaggressions toward her. On top of that, she seems more enwrapped in Mia and Elena's tug of war. She and Mia get into some heated arguments that are admittedly very emotional and pull at the heartstrings, but their fracture happens very quickly on the show, and it's more intense. Seeing them become distant that rapidly makes you wonder if they were close because of their healthy relationship or because they were all they had. In comparison to Ng's text, Pearl and Mia's solidarity feels shakier.

Elena Richardson (Reese Witherspoon)

In the book: Elena is very prim, self-righteous, passive aggressive, and judgmental. She especially disapproves of anything that doesn't align with her idea of living the "perfect" life. Her privilege as a rich white woman often seeps through her gestures and is more of an undercurrent than a denotation. Because of this, her actions — helping Linda maintain custody of Bebe's baby, looking into Mia's past, and trying to establish the quintessential family dynamic to the chagrin of Izzy — are rooted in her genuine belief that what she does is right. She doesn't lack conviction; she just lacks awareness of the ignorance embedded in her conviction.

On the show: There's no beating around the bush with this one: Elena is a lot more insufferable in Hulu's take than in the book. It feels as though she has less conviction and grapples more with convincing herself of her firm beliefs and morals. And her privilege is so thickly displayed, it's hard not to grimace any time she speaks.

She's also messier in the series than in Ng's work. The scene in which she tries to bribe Bebe into dropping the case against the McCulloughs doesn't happen in the novel. The book version of Elena is too smart and too calculated for that. She'd know that would throw a huge wrench in the custody battle. She certainly wouldn't have gone out to dinner with her ex, Jamie, either. Nor would she sip through an entire bottle of champagne with him and invite him back to her hotel room, but that happens on the show. Making him a New York Times journalist who reconnects with Elena in the adaptation does spice things up. And watching him retort Elena's attitude is incredibly satisfying ("It's not my job to make your life bearable" is one of the sharpest lines uttered thus far). Granted, in the book, Jamie never reappears. He goes off to fight in the Vietnam War, and Elena never sees him again.

All of these character adjustments are made to up the dramatic ante, which is understandable when you're translating a novel to a script. But, in Elena's case, some of her decisions deviate from the core of her ethos in a way that cheapens her turn of mind.

Bill Richardson (Joshua Jackson)

In the book: Bill, Elena's husband, is a practical, relatively sympathetic character who has a more benevolent relationship with his daughter, Izzy. As a defence attorney, he agrees to represent the McCulloughs in their legal case against Bebe, but eventually struggles to decipher right from wrong when the line of morality blurs.

On the show: He's not all that different from the book (except, the novel doesn't give us a visualization of *that* underwear scene [9]). You can tell he grapples with the unsteadiness of his family and doesn't really know how to deal with Elena's sanctimony. The scene of him standing in the rain, begging Elena not to go to New York to investigate Mia (and, as he correctly presumes, visit her ex, Jamie [10]) is a very telling portrayal of their marriage. One minute, you don't like Bill because he's working as the McCulloughs' lawyer and contributing to the polarizing custody battle, then the next minute, you feel bad for him because Elena is a handful.

Lexie Richardson (Jade Pettyjohn)

In the book: Lexie, the oldest Richardson child, is best understood when you read between the lines. On the surface, she seems like a two-dimensional girl's girl who has it all together. Her plan is to go to Yale and raise a family in Shaker Heights with her boyfriend, Brian. But when Pearl enters the picture, Lexi begins to the lean on the town transplant in a way that reveals the cracks in her mask as she slowly unravels.

On the show: Pettyjohn nails the complexity of Lexie's character by really tapping into her struggle to be the perfect child. She has the same goal of attending Yale and living a cookie-cutter life, but she appears to be more self-aware of her wrongdoings along the way (i.e. using Pearl's experience with racial discrimination as her "inspiration" for her Yale application essay, using Pearl's name on the abortion papers instead of her own, using Pearl . . . in general). She ignorantly tries to justify her actions as much as possible, but her conscious certainly isn't clear. She is her mother's daughter.

Trip Richardson (Jordan Elsass)

In the book: Trip is the second-oldest Richardson kid, and he fits right into the "handsome, obnoxious jock" trope. He develops a relationship with Pearl after they nonchalantly go from studying together to having sex. Over time, it becomes clear that Trip actually has feelings and isn't a total jerk — you know, the typical storyline for the dude-bro with a bit of depth.

On the show: Trip is still the "handsome, obnoxious jock," but we see a few moments in which he tries to break out of the superficiality mold. Being with Pearl helps him do that, but something about their romance feels a little off. It might be the way it develops. During an intimate study session, the two start making out and decide to have sex (similar to the book), but before things progress too far, Trip jumps out of bed and snaps on Pearl for enticing him when it's obvious that Moody likes her (unlike what happens in the book). He later claims that he just feels like Pearl is too good for him, but it's not sufficient enough to excuse his earlier outburst. Sure, Pearl forgives him and they continue seeing each other, but his character development is less convincing.

Moody Richardson (Gavin Lewis)

In the book: Moody, the second-youngest Richardson child, is the "nice guy" of the bunch and sympathizes the most with Izzy. He quickly befriends Pearl and introduces her to his family. Used to his standard life, he becomes fascinated with Pearl and Mia's unconventional way of living. He also develops feelings for Pearl, though he struggles to tell her. We see a different side of him when he notices Pearl becomes closer to Lexie and finds out she develops a romance with Trip.

On the show: Moody is pretty much exactly how he seems in the book — adorable, a little awkward, and perceptive. We're inclined to believe he's the only Richardson who sees the rift in his family, or he's at least the only one genuinely bothered by everyone's treatment of each other. But, similar to how it is in the novel, you can tell that there's a tinge of ire stewing within him. Lewis even spoke about channelling that frustration in an interview with POPSUGAR, saying, "The hardest thing for me has probably been trying to find a place to pull anger from because there's definitely a layer of anger with Moody."

Izzy Richardson (Megan Stott)

In the book: Izzy is the youngest of the Richardson bunch. To say that she's the rebel of the family would be an understatement. She has a contentious relationship with her mother and gets along the least with Lexie and Trip. Throughout the novel, we see this angsty teen constantly trying break free from the strict confines of her perfectly etched life. While Pearl craves stability and becomes close with the Richardsons, Izzy craves freedom and becomes close with Mia.

On the show: Stott really captures Izzy's seething resentment toward Elena and her discontent with her life, as well as her desire to just be seen. Some of her snipes and stunts seem a little over-the-top (e.g. burning her hair off), but other antics that are faithful to the book (like writing "Not your puppet" on her forehead) translate well on screen. At some points, her dynamic with Mia even feels more organic and genuine than Mia and Pearl's relationship. From the moment she cracks a smile after Mia tells her "We artists gotta stick together," we know that there's a special connection.

The series also explores her sexuality, which doesn't happen in the book. It adds an interesting layer to her character, especially because it doesn't outright label her sexual orientation. All we know is that she isn't straight, she's the target of many homophobic remarks, and she's accused of sexually assaulting a female classmate. This variation from the book is important, though the sexual assault allegation just doesn't seem necessary, and it gets lost in the flames (pun intended) of everything else going on. We can do without it and still effectively see Izzy wrestle with her sexuality in an intolerant world.


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