A central theme of the novel concerns the contrasting thought patterns of judgment and empathy, as well as the way that each affects outcomes in interpersonal situations.

As the novel opens, Jolene is firmly entrenched in a habit of judging other people harshly. In so doing, she often makes poorly supported assumptions about their motives and intentions. Significantly, as opposed to empathy, judgment does not involve a lack of imagination about how others may be thinking or feeling. Instead, it involves imagining—and projecting onto others—the most damaging explanations for their behavior, whether or not those explanations are reasonable. Although Jolene judges various characters throughout the novel, she is perhaps most explicit and consistent in her condemnation of Caitlin, whom she considers to be vain, manipulative, and ineffective. For instance, after Jolene discovers that several of Caitlin’s passwords consist of self-affirmations, Jolene barely restrains herself from laughing while thinking, “No wonder she’s so cocky” (82). In this instance, Jolene’s interpretation is not only inaccurate, but also fully the opposite of the truth: Caitlin is deeply insecure. To a more empathetic person, Caitlin’s passwords could be read as a call for help, and rightly so. This demonstrates the end result of judgmental thinking, which tends to produce distance and animosity between people.