Smile: A Graphic Novel

Raina is the oldest of three children in a two-parent family with a townhouse in the San Francisco suburbs. While she never gets into a major fight with either parent, Raina faces the same conflicts that any child has with parents while growing up. Both parents remain unnamed throughout the book, and they do not discuss adult issues like how they pay for Raina’s operations. This absence of detail suits Raina’s younger perspective and allows readers to focus on her personal journey.

Raina is closer to her mother, who raises the children and takes her to every dental appointment. She is a calming voice in Raina’s life and assures her, “Lots of kids wear funny stuff to fix their bodies” (56). Her mother is also protective as she orders Amara to stop teasing her older sister, cautions about the risks of piercings, and screams at the periodontist who botches Raina’s treatment. At the same time, she casts an eyeroll at Raina when she complains about her teeth or misses the point about something.

Raina’s father works a lot and rarely appears in the story. He is good natured and friendly but has less experience in dealing with children. He uses the phrase “knocked them clean out” to describe the accident (130), and during the flashback he forgets to mask his handwriting when posing as the tooth fairy.

Will, the youngest child, remains in the background of the story. He still needs a baby stroller and car seat to get around, and he is too young to understand earthquake safety. Amara, the middle child, is an early obstacle as she mocks Raina for needing braces even before the accident. She grows out of this behavior, however, after talking with her mother and surviving the earthquake. Telgemeier’s second autobiographical graphic novel, Sisters, delves deeper into Rania’s relationship with Amara and other family issues that Smile omits. 

Raina has different relationships with each of her fellow Girl Scout members, who are initially sympathetic to her ordeal but increasing mock her as they grow older. She is not the only girl in the group with dental issues, but she is the one with the worst problem and has the most self-esteem issues as a result.

She is closest to Melissa, who is naturally confident and remains on friendly terms with her even after they go to separate high schools. Melissa’s absence accelerates the deterioration of Raina’s relationship with the other girls. Still, Melissa often sides with the group and feels Raina gets upset too easily.

Emily serves as a secondary confidant; however, she criticizes Raina’s appearance the most, whether referring to her childish ponytails or discolored teeth. Raina rarely talks to Kaylah and Jenny alone, and they and Emily become complicit in downplaying the pranks and laughing at Raina’s expense. She also rarely talks to Kelli, who feels guilty over her role in the accident and becomes “gloomy” after reaching puberty. Raina has no ill will toward her, and Kelli is mostly absent after the makeover.

Karin mocks Raina impulsively; Nicole is more calculating, leaving a snide note in the yearbook that Raina remembers years later and taking the key role in the birthday makeover. Karin and Nicole epitomize the type of bullies who thrive by targeting the weak links of their group—those who are often afraid of speaking out or leaving. After telling them off, Raina realizes that they torment her to make “them feel better about themselves” (192). Since the reader only knows Raina’s perspective, this realization offers some empathy, suggesting that these flat villains are either unaware of how damaging their behavior is or have unknown problems of their own.

Raina’s schoolgirl crushes represent different desires for the stress-addled preteen. At a point when Raina believes no one will like her because of her tooth problems, Sammy is a fellow braces wearer with whom she shares a common dilemma. In addition, she likes his green eyes—Sammy is the only character in Smile with a specific iris color. Sean is the more aspirational of the would-be boyfriends as he is cool and talented in basketball and art.

Raina handles her friendship with Sammy poorly as she knows of his feelings as early as October yet leaves him believing that he has a chance until Valentine’s Day. He does not talk to her again afterwards, treatment she feels she “deserved” (126). At the same time, there is probably no way to turn Sammy down without breaking his heart. Explaining that she’s interested in someone who barely talks to her could upset him or make him double down on his efforts in an unhealthy manner, much like how Raina agrees to the tacky makeover because she wants Sean’s attention.

Sean fits in with Raina’s desire for a perfect boyfriend, her own version of Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid. The belief that Sean is such an ideal is largely the result of her daydreams and summer vacation fantasies—the real Sean is probably closer to Melissa’s description of a single-minded “basketball-brain” (146). They end up in the same high school, but Raina’s healthier mindset and new circle of friends help reduce her obsession with him.