The It Girl

Open and closed doors depict the theme of Elitism and Elitist Politics in The It Girl. Hannah sees that the old door to Pelham’s campus is open when she arrives, unlike when she interviewed with admissions. The campus door represents the exclusivity of being an Oxford student. Hannah and Ryan often resent the advantages that their wealthier and more privileged peers have—how much easier it was for the elite to walk through that same door. When Dr. Myers invites Hannah to an exclusive party for his more promising students, April flirts her way into the soiree while flaunting an expensive bottle of champagne, giving Hannah “a dazzling smile and stepped forward [...] and Hannah [sees] her give the smallest of winks over her bare shoulder. And then she disappear[s] and the door close[s] behind her” (92). April uses her wealth and privilege to bypass the hard work that Hannah needs to do to earn an invitation to the same party, which upsets Hannah. Elitism makes Hannah feel as though her efforts are minimized and insignificant.

Likewise, April’s closed bedroom door symbolizes the divide in her and Hannah’s friendship. April keeps secrets from Hannah, even though she’s her best friend. Upon returning to the girls’ suite, Hannah “open[s] the door [and] the sound that greeted her from behind April’s door was the unmistakable one of two people having sex” (78-79). Knowing that April isn’t with Will, Hannah realizes that she’s secretly engaging in an affair. April hides parts of herself from Hannah, like someone hiding behind a closed door, though she occasionally opens the figurative door and lets Hannah see her vulnerability. For example, April discusses her strained relationship with her parents and shares her nervousness about her performance in Medea. April’s secrets later haunt Hannah and prove problematic as she tries to uncover the truth about her murder.

Hannah’s fixation on the open door to her and April’s suite on the night of April’s murder represents her lingering psychological distress. Hannah recalls, “Afterwards, it was the door she would remember. It was open, she kept saying to the police. I should have known something was wrong” (1). Hannah feels false guilt for April’s murder, and this guilt motivates her actions for the entire “After” narrative. Even though she didn’t murder April, Hannah feels responsible for her death. She hypothesizes what April would look like if she’d lived while noting that April might be alive had Hannah decided to return to their suite earlier. Hannah loses sleep thinking about April and sometimes hears screams. She occasionally thinks she sees April or hears her voice in the “After” narrative, which startles her and incites abrupt reactions. Hannah’s psychological distress even causes her blood pressure to spike, alarming her midwife. The fact that Hannah can’t let go of the image of the open door symbolizes her guilt, which affects her mentally and drives her to uncover the truth.