Pie

There are strong elements of several distinct genres evident throughout Pie, such that it fits in at least three categories. The primary focus of the narrative on a few life-changing days in which Alice deals with unexpected, overwhelming grief, bitter family conflict, and the need to step forward and claim her aunt’s legacy within the community reveals the novel as a coming-of-age story or bildungsroman. The pratfalls—such as Alice tumbling into the principal’s backyard, potential dangers—as when Charlie confronts Alice with a baseball bat in Polly’s pie shop—and uncertain action sequences—as when Jane sneaks into Alice’s room only to suffer an attack from Lardo and capture by Charlie—are characteristic of youth adventure and action tales. Additionally, both Alice and Charlie continually refer to mystery-solving heroes of the 1950s, such as TV hero Sky King and storybook sleuths Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Alice’s despair at failing to solve the three mysteries—the pie shop burglary, Lardo’s catnapping, and the theft of her mother’s pie—melts away the instant that she puts together all the elements as she watches Sylvia dump her mother’s pie into the bushes. Her discouragement, new resolve, and ultimate crime-solving success are elements of the successful child detective genre.

Throughout the narrative, Weeks engages in wordplay with the names of her characters, particularly women and girls, as a way of suggesting and commenting on their personal qualities. The author uses first and last name alliteration with several individuals: Polly Portman, Alice Anderson, and Nora Needleman. Alliteration tends to reinforce the image of the character the author intends to portray. For example, Polly Portman is a jolly, open, accepting person. The author uses first and sometimes last names to hint at the qualities of her characters as well. Alice, like the famous Alice in Wonderland, descends into a newly confusing world—complete with a disappearing cat. Her mother, Ruth, for the majority of the narrative, is ruthless in her criticism. Gurke is the guttural, suitable descriptive name for a principal who is a secret bodybuilder. Plain Jane disguises herself to become sly Sylvia to steal the precious piecrust recipe. Melanie Needleman’s name expresses two elements of her personality: She presents herself as a pleasant, melodious individual while, beneath that outward facade, she is sharp-edged and steely in her persistent effort to gain attention for her husband’s position of authority. The most obvious symbolic name belongs to the cat, Lardo, named for pure white vegetable shortening even though he is so overweight, his stomach almost drags the floor.