On Mystic Lake

At any given point in the novel, Annie’s choice of clothing reflects who she is and who she wants to be. At the beginning of the story, Annie largely defines herself by external characteristics because she has always placed her husband’s and daughter’s needs so far ahead of her own that she does not even know who she is inside or what she wants anymore. In California, she dresses not to please herself but to please Blake by displaying her status as a wealthy man’s wife. This is what her husband wants of her, and this is the role that she plays. She is therefore defined solely by her relationship to her husband.

When Annie moves to Mystic, however, she realizes that her expensive clothes make her stand out. She therefore goes and purchases some clothes that make her look like she fits in in Mystic. These are not clothes she would normally wear, and she does not express liking the clothes all that much, but she is using clothes to appear to be the person she believes she should be. These clothing choices demonstrate that the two versions of Annie are not easily reconciled.