In terms of Jessie’s experience, her life is ruled by standardized testing and anxiety surrounding college admissions, which reflects the realities of growing up in mid 2010s America. Jessie also voices a number of other fears and observations that allude to statistics surrounding remarriage and blending families, such as the fear that a person remarried for money, and that in the aftermath of losing a spouse, men are more likely to struggle to get through day-to-day routines, especially concerning housework, alone. It’s also fairly common for men to run into opposition from friends and family members who believe that they’re moving on and remarrying too quickly, which Dad and Jessie struggle with in their relationship. It is, however, more common for men to remarry than it is for women, and men tend to do so more quickly.

In the past several decades, it’s become slightly less common for people to remarry after losing a spouse (though the likelihood that someone will remarry goes up with age). Tell Me Three Things centers around Dad’s remarriage after Jessie’s mom dies of cancer.

Tell me why chapter 3 guide