The first death in We Were Liars is Tipper's, and with the matriarch gone, the island is a very different place, with far less tasty food. Cadence misses her grandmother a lot, but Tipper quickly gets erased from the Sinclairs' stiff-upper-lip conversation since they're pretty guarded when they're not drinking. But Tipper's death is nothing compared to Cadence's inability to remember, much less come to terms with, the Liars' deaths. She needs to think they're real before she can grasp that they're actually ghosts… or hallucinations… or…? Over to you, Shmoopers.
Questions About Mortality
- Why do the Sinclairs try to erase Tipper's memory?
- Why does Cadence start giving away her possessions after the accident?
- Is Cadence's amnesia solely caused by her inability to deal with the Liars' deaths, or does it have a physical component?
Chew on This
The first indication we get that Mirren, Gat, and Johnny are dead is when Cadence sees that Gat hasn't grown, and that he and Johnny are wearing shirts from two summers ago. They're like cartoon characters who never change clothes.
Tipper's death exacerbates Harris's senility. His aging accelerates after she passes away.