The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Avoidance Quotes

No one likes conflict, but since Carmen only sees her dad a couple of times a year, she really doesn't want to spend their time together fighting. Instead, though, she is consumed by bitterness and rude to pretty much everyone else around her. Avoidance sure ain't pretty.

Carmen acts like a little kid here, storming off just because she doesn't like what she hears. Her whole summer might've gone differently if instead of running away every time she gets upset, she stuck around to sort things out.

This is a totally new feeling for Lena—she is never ignored. Kostos must be really mad at her (and with good reason, since she avoided confronting him and now has caused a ton of drama instead). 

Carmen hates this whole dress shopping ordeal, and the thought of the sales lady getting to first base is more than she can handle. It isn't really about the dress or the sales lady, though—Carmen's avoiding what she's actually upset about, which is being blindsided by her dad and his new family.

We're all for running away if, say, a mountain lion is your problem, but these girls run away from problems all the time. Running from problems doesn't make them go away, though, and if anything, it arguably makes them worse. 

After her encounter with Eric, Bridget withdraws from life, staying in bed and refusing to eat or hang out with her soccer friends. This girl has extreme highs and lows, and the lows are dangerous. It reminds us of her mother. We don't know much about her, but we do know she was depressed and often had to hide in her room with headaches. But it's not Bridget's head that's hurting here; it's her heart. 

This is a turning point for Carmen. She has been avoiding her true feelings because she doesn't want to fight with her father, but burying the anger has turned her into a bitter young lady. When Bailey gives her permission to be mad, Carmen feels relief. 

Mrs. Graffman wants Tibby to know about Bailey's cancer because it's important to their friendship—but Bailey doesn't want to talk about it. She just wants to act like a normal teen. In this case, it seems like avoidance is kind of a good thing. What do you think? 

Tibby spends her life erecting walls of avoidance, but death doesn't particularly care—it's going to come no matter what, so Tibby better quit avoiding things and start enjoying the people (and critters) she loves while they're still around. 

We all tell ourselves lies to avoid the truth sometimes, and here Carmen doesn't want to think her father is a heel, so she tells herself that it's everyone else's fault. The truth will win out in the end, though—it pretty much always does.