Oh, Gat. We see you over there, with your wavy hair and big vocabulary and endless reading material. What (straight) girl wouldn't want an envelope full of beach roses from you? In We Were Liars, Cadence falls in love with Gat at eight years old, the first time he sets foot on Beechwood Island, and their relationship resumes every summer until her mom insists her now-teenage daughter break up with him to secure her inheritance. Granddad's elitism (and, let's face it, racism) turns what should be a sweet summer romance into a relationship that goes up in flames.
Questions About Love
- Why don't Cadence and Gat visit or call each other during the school year?
- Why does Harris allow Gat to continue coming to Beechwood, given that he doesn't approve of Gat's relationship with Cadence?
- Why doesn't Cadence date during the school year? Do you think she does and she's just not telling us?
- When Mirren tells the Liars about Drake Loggerhead, does she really want them to believe she has a boyfriend, or is she just being silly?
Chew on This
Eight-year-old Cadence notices her grandmother Tipper's reaction to Gat upon meeting him—namely, horror. Her grandparents' disapproval is part of the reason she finds Gat attractive.
Gat compares himself to Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, and Cadence to Catherine. Gat may be dark and brooding, but he's not an animal—however, like Heathcliff, he'll never win the favor of refined society, as personified by Harris Sinclair.