65 pages • 2 hours read
Jenny HanWe'll Always Have Summer
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2011A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Isabel “Belly” Conklin
In this final installment in the Summer series, Belly must finally decide in the long-simmering love triangle between the only two boys she has ever loved: Conrad and Jeremiah. Throughout the text, Belly’s feelings for Conrad reemerge and become harder to contain, especially after Conrad confesses his love for her. She realizes that: “Conrad and I were linked. [...] [L]ove wasn’t something you could erase, no matter how hard you tried” (239). For much of Belly’s life, a confession like this from Conrad would have been earth-shattering in the best way. Her reaction to learning that Conrad loves her illustrates the extent of Belly’s personal growth. She explains why she cannot leave Jeremiah for Conrad: “It would destroy us. [...] Especially—especially with everything so fragile now that Susannah was gone [...] I couldn’t give all that up, just for this, just for Conrad. [...] I would be betting my whole life on him. And I couldn’t do it” (244-45). Although it pains her, Belly thinks about the ramifications her decision to leave Jeremiah for Conrad would have on their families. She realizes that her decision has larger implications beyond herself and therefore decides she cannot upset the fragile balance they have created in the wake of Susannah’s death, even for true love.
Despite Belly’s assurance that she will not end her relationship with Jeremiah to be with Conrad, she and Jeremiah nonetheless decide not to get married. This decision also illustrates Belly’s growth and maturation: “We truly did love each other. We truly did have the best of intentions. It, we, just weren’t meant to be” (287). Belly lets go of her romantic relationship with Jeremiah without bitterness or anger, acknowledging that their relationship was special, just not meant to be forever.
Although they do not get together immediately after ending her engagement to Jeremiah, Belly and Conrad marry in the Epilogue. After Belly has had additional time to grow and have “lots and lots of adventures” (289), she and Conrad come back together, this time for good. On their marriage night, they arrive late to their reception so that they can take a detour to Cousins Beach to jump in the ocean: “We are married. We are infinite. Me and Conrad. The first boy I ever slow danced with, ever cried over. Ever loved” (291). Belly finally has everything she ever wanted, proving to herself that first love will always be the most enduring and important.
Conrad Fisher
Throughout the Summer series, Conrad’s inability to express his true feelings defines his character. He hurts Belly time and again, rejecting her and ultimately pushing her into a relationship with Jeremiah because he cannot be vulnerable enough to admit his feelings. In We’ll Always Have Summer, Conrad begins the text with his usual aloofness, revealing how he feels about Belly and Jeremiah’s engagement only to himself: “He was marrying my girl, and I couldn’t do anything about it. I just had to watch it happen, because he was my brother, because I had promised. Take care of him, Connie, I’m counting on you” (146). The news of the engagement pains Conrad, and yet he believes that he needs to put aside his feelings to stay true to his promise to his mother that he will take care of Jeremiah.
Throughout the text, Conrad and Belly become close again as they spend time together planning Belly’s wedding. Conrad finally gains the courage to profess his love for Belly after learning about Jeremiah’s infidelity. In his confession, he recalls the painful moment that he pushed Belly and Jeremiah into being together, two summers ago: “I knew I loved you. But I knew I shouldn’t. I didn’t have the right to love anybody then. After my mom died, I was so pissed off. [...] I didn’t have it in me to love you the way you deserved” (237). This is the most honest Conrad has ever been with Belly, revealing how deeply he was hurting after Susannah’s death, and how this caused him to push Belly away in a misguided attempt to protect her.
Conrad is an example of what it means to take risks for love and the importance of vulnerability in relationships. When he is able to be vulnerable with Belly, it is almost too late, and Belly decides she cannot leave Jeremiah for him. Conrad accepts this, telling Belly: “I need you to know that no matter what happens, it was worth it to me. Being with you, loving you. It was all worth it” (276). And yet, when he learns that Belly and Jeremiah do not get married after all, Conrad illustrates that he has learned the importance of taking risks, writing Belly letters over the next few years and rekindling their relationship anew. By the Epilogue, Belly and Conrad are married, and he carries her into the ocean, symbolizing that he will never let her dive into the unknown alone again.
Jeremiah Fisher
Jeremiah Fisher is the younger Fisher brother and Belly’s fiancé. Jeremiah proposes to Belly after she learns he cheated on her during spring break in Cabo. Jeremiah claims that he wants to marry Belly not because of his infidelity but because of his love for her: “Don’t you see, Belly? It’s been our story all along. Yours and mine. Nobody else’s” (57). Even in his proposal, Jeremiah alludes to Belly’s former relationship with his older brother, Conrad. Jeremiah tries to convince himself and Belly that they are meant to be together, trying to erase the memory of Belly’s long-time love for Conrad.
Jeremiah’s immaturity in the text illustrates that he is not ready to get married. From not helping Belly to plan to suggesting that they have a Quentin Tarantino-themed wedding for viral content creation: “Come on, Bells. Be a sport. We can put it on YouTube. I bet we’ll get a shit ton of hits. It’ll be funny!” (172), Jeremiah’s attitude toward their future shows that he is more interested in continuing to live the fraternity-brother lifestyle he is accustomed to than making a lifelong commitment to marriage. When looking at apartments, Jeremiah tries to convince Belly to live in a run-down apartment closer to campus so that they can continue to live the lifestyle of young party-going students: “That place was all old people and families. This place is for people our age. College kids like us” (197). Jeremiah wants it both ways: He wants to marry Belly, but he also wants to continue being a young college kid.
Jeremiah shares his real feelings about his and Belly’s relationship at the end of the text, which indicates how deep his insecurity about Conrad and Belly runs: “I don’t have your whole heart. [...] How do you think it makes me feel, knowing I’m second choice? Knowing it was always supposed to be you two?” (283). Here, Jeremiah says aloud what he has secretly always thought: that Belly is still in love with Conrad and views her relationship with Jeremiah as consolation. Despite the love that Belly does feel for Jeremiah: “We truly did love each other. We truly did have the best of intentions. It, we, just weren’t meant to be” (287), the fact remains that Belly and Jeremiah were not meant to get married, not when Belly realizes she can never let go of her love for Conrad completely, and Jeremiah realizes that he cannot live with being someone’s second choice.
Laurel Dunne
Laurel Dunne is Belly’s mother, with whom she has a complicated relationship. Laurel has strong opinions and often comes into conflict with Belly. This is especially true when Jeremiah and Belly share their intentions to get married. Laurel responds to the news: “I can’t support you in this decision, Isabel. If you go forward with this wedding, I won’t support it. I won’t be there” (115). Laurel remains steadfast in this stance for much of the text, refusing to go wedding dress shopping with Belly and not questioning Belly when she decides to move out and live at Cousins Beach for the summer.
Conrad ultimately convinces Laurel to attend Belly’s bridal shower and the wedding events. Laurel’s ability to put aside her feelings to show up for Belly speaks to her love for her daughter. However, Laurel does not change her opinion on the impending nuptials. On the wedding day, Laurel visits Belly in her room: “This isn’t what I wanted for you. But I’m here. This is your wedding day. My only daughter” (260).
As important as Laurel is to Belly, she also plays an important role in Conrad’s narrative. Laurel and Conrad have always shared a special bond, which grows stronger after Susannah’s death. Laurel is one of the few people willing to acknowledge Conrad’s love for Belly and gives him the space to express his feelings. The night before the wedding, Conrad and Laurel sit on the porch at the beach house. Sensing what Conrad is unwilling to say aloud, Laurel tells him: “I’m sorry. I know you love her a lot, kid. This must be really hard on you. [...] We’ll get through it tomorrow, I promise. It’ll be you and me, kid” (253). Knowing that Belly and Jeremiah are set on making their own decisions, Laurel cannot offer advice for how Conrad could stop the marriage, but she enables Conrad to sit with his grief, giving him a safe space to express his sorrow at losing the love of his life.
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