A System of Secrets

A successful system has multiple parts that feed into one larger product, and any strong piece of writing can be seen as a system. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng is a three-piece system devised to make the reader feel like they are watching a movie for the second time. Each time you watch a movie, you collect more information that you did not catch before, which creates a deeper understanding of the events. In the novel, Ng strays from conventional writing style and structure to create a thoughtful system between the reader and the narrator composed of third person omniscience, nonlinear events, and repetition.

The book presents the omniscient point of view in the first line that reads, “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet” (Ng 1). More secrets are divulged to the reader throughout the plot, and each one creates two separate stories. One is based on the factual events of the characters in the novel, and another story is formed by the reader’s personal opinions on each character. The Lee family dynamic presents the need for the second story, as it is described as rigid and formulaic with no room for error, resulting in reserved children, a stifled wife, and a husband that will hold back his feelings to preserve his reputation.  Blurry emotional lines appear often in the Lee family, but they become clear for the reader through the knowledge of each character’s inner thoughts. However, it can be very frustrating as a reader to have so much information that the characters are blind to, because often times, the information could resolve the prevalent issues. When the officers are interrogating the Lee family about who Lydia could have been with on the day of her death, Nath thinks about Jack Wolff. Yet he does not act upon it and continues to pout and resent him immaturely. The case of Lydia’s death, a large factor in the plot-line, would be altered dramatically if each character knew what the reader knows. Conversely, the way the reader thinks about the characters and the system of the book in general would be much less had the point of view been changed.

Ng leaves out the prerequisites to important stories, which cause the reader to jump to conclusions without full understanding. she incorporates flashbacks and antagonistic ideas to pull a reader one way and then adds information that quickly changes the direction of the story. The mother, Marilyn, is made out to be a controversial character because there of the multiple stories that are told piece by piece, leaving out important justification in the first telling.  In chapter two, it is briefly mentioned that Marilyn had disappeared a few years back in an effort to “stand out” (Ng 25),  and the thought is put into the reader's head that Marilyn is a selfish, high maintenance woman that prioritizes herself over her duties as a mother and a wife. The majority of people would agree that Marilyn has accomplished the standard American Dream: she has a family with a reputation of success in the suburbs, she does not have to work, and and she has married a man that she loves despite any prejudices that have come about.  Considering her good fortune, it seems irresponsible and out of line to uproot herself without telling her family, and the reader is forced to sympathize with the rest of her family.  This idea lives for two chapters until chapter four, when the chain of events that take place directly before her departure are laid out for further analysis.  At a holiday party for James’ work, James asserts his male dominance over Marilyn when she inquires about a job with one of his colleagues, and it becomes apparent that this power dynamic is probably a common theme in their marriage. James’ egotistical reaction sparks concern of an unhealthy relationship, and a suppressed Marilyn suddenly becomes the sympathetic character.  Later in the chapter, she is writing a note to her family before she plans to leave them which reads, “I realize that I am not happy with the life I lead. I always had one kind of life in mind and things have turned out very differently” (Ng 100), and her apparent effort to communicate with her family makes her decision slightly more excusable.  Had the stories been presented in the reverse order, Marilyn’s reputation would not have been tainted, and there would be no doubt that James is the problematic character.

The repetition that takes place throughout the novel with both characters and events manipulates the reader’s thoughts in a way that allows Ng to control the predictions of the readers. The similarities between Lydia and Marilyn are stated more obviously in the first chapter, but there are also comparisons that can be drawn between the major events. The most obvious similarity is the power dynamic that is displayed through the romantic relationships. In chapter one, James’ teaching assistant, Louisa, enters his office, and the first detail given is that she is physically similar to his daughter Lydia.  Despite their arguably inappropriate actions while in the office, the original connection to his daughter causes the idea of an affair to be pushed to the back of the reader’s mind.  It is not until the next chapter that the thought becomes a threat to the rest of the storyline.  The story of how Marilyn and James met begins to form, and it impossible to ignore its connection to the beginning stages of James and Louisa’s relationship.  As a result, when the idea of Marilyn becoming a teaching assistant for another man emerges, it causes speculation that Ng is establishing a theme of disloyalty and that history will soon repeat itself for a third time.  By using the same outcome for multiple connected events, it becomes comfortable for the reader to start assuming the conclusion, leaving the reader vulnerable to the effects of the nonlinear piece of the system.

It is not the words that make an impact on the reader, but the lack and reuse of words that makes the novel so intriguing. The ability to separate the character’s feelings and thoughts from the actual events creates a debate over whether to trust the information given to the reader in confidence, or to stray from the biases and create an entirely new approach.  The secrets shared between the two parties would change the novel immensely if the characters had the same relationship, and the secrets are dispersed throughout the text in a very specific order, although out of order, to keep the reader constantly engaged and debating within themselves. The resulting controversy is used to fuel the search for connections between characters and events in an attempt to fill some of the gaps in the story, but the literary devices ultimately prevail and leave the reader feeling mislead, but encouraged to keep going. It is obvious that Ng made all of her literary choices very intentionally as they work together to form a perfect system.