Big Little Lies

“You hit me, you hit me, now you have to kiss me. - School Yard Chant” 

The opening epigraph of the book, this chant acclimates the reader to the type of conflict to expect from the story, implies the setting, and introduces us to the world. Domestic violence is one of the most dominant issues in the novel, and Celeste and Perry’s relationship is intertwined with sex and abuse. Poignantly, the epigraph is a schoolyard chant, and Pirriwee Public School Is the most important setting in the novel. 

“Pirriwee Public School / . . . where we live and learn by the sea! / Pirriwee Public is a BULLY-FREE ZONE! / We do not Bully / We do not accept being bullied. / We never keep bullying a secret. / We have the courage to speak up if we see our friends bullied. / We say NO to bullies!” 

Presumably a school rule, the second epigraph builds on the content of the first. Whereas the adults, particularly Celeste and Jane, grapple with the horrors of domestic violence, we see their children deal with an adjacent issue: bullying. The epigraph is also ironic, as bullying and keeping bullying a secret become regular occurrences for a good portion of the story. The second epigraph, like the first, queues the reader to the type of conflicts in the story. In terms of the setting, the second epigraph also informs the reader that the story will take place by the sea before the first chapter has even begun.