What happens in Chapter 9 of We Were Liars?
Chapter 9 of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart comes early in the novel's fragmented structure, enhancing the reader's understanding of Cadence Sinclair Eastman's shattered memory and the dysfunctional dynamics of the Sinclair family. After a two-year absence she struggles to explain, Cadence returns to Beechwood Island for the summer, haunted by a traumatic event she can only recall in fragments. In this chapter, Lockhart interrupts the realistic narrative with one of the novel's signature fairy-tale inserts — a brief, stylized parable that reflects the Sinclair family dynamics through the lens of allegory. A king (clearly a stand-in for Cadence's grandfather Harris) hoards his kingdom's riches while his daughters bitterly vie for their inheritance. This fairy tale runs parallel to Cadence's observations of her mother, aunts, and grandfather as they compete for status and property on the island. Cadence is also acutely aware of the absence of Gat, Johnny, and Mirren — the Liars — whose silence and whereabouts weigh on her like a bruise she can't help but touch. The chapter ends with Cadence recognizing the island's physical beauty contrasted with the emotional decay underneath, a juxtaposition that will resonate throughout the novel.
Analysis
Lockhart's most striking craft choice in Chapter 9 is the fairy-tale interpolation. This structural device allows her to turn subtext into text while maintaining the novel's atmosphere of dread. The allegorical king who clings to his gold symbolizes Harris Sinclair's psychological hold on his family, presenting a narrative that feels both ancient and damning. The fable format strips away the Sinclairs' polished veneer, exposing the primal ugliness beneath. This shift from realistic narration to parable and back again reflects Cadence's fragmented mind: she reaches for myth when her direct memories are too painful or elusive.
The theme of beauty hiding corruption sharpens here through Cadence's sharp, almost clinical observations of the island's landscape. Lockhart employs the second-person-adjacent intimacy of Cadence's voice — confessional, controlled, occasionally ironic — to draw the reader into the family's self-delusion. The prose is so spare it feels brittle, mirroring Cadence's psychological state.
Absence serves as a structural pressure throughout this chapter: the Liars are absent, yet their non-appearance influences every sentence. Lockhart recognizes that what a narrator hints at without naming can be more revealing than what is stated outright. The chapter also subtly pushes the novel's critique of class — the Sinclairs' wealth is never glorified; it is dissected.
Key quotes from Chapter 9
“We are liars. We are beautiful and privileged and live in a world of our own making.”
Cadence's self-aware, almost incantatory declaration establishes the group's identity and the irony embedded in their self-mythology.
“The king had three beautiful daughters and he loved them, but he could not give away his gold.”
The opening line of the fairy-tale insert distills Harris Sinclair's emotional economy into a single, devastating sentence.
“The island is ours. Or it was.”
Cadence's past-tense correction punctures the possessive confidence of the first clause, signalling loss before its cause is revealed.
Check your understanding
Vocabulary in Chapter 9
- gold
- Used figuratively to represent wealth, power, and the family fortune that the grandfather hoards and refuses to share or give away.