You, Again

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

Ari is one of the protagonists of You, Again. The third-person limited point-of-view narration is sometimes from Ari’s perspective; the remainder of the narration is from Josh’s perspective.

Ari is an aspiring comedian, a dream that she funds by doing many small jobs around New York City. Ari’s professional desires both derive from and are sometimes in conflict with her desire to feel wanted and worthy. While she notes that the attention she gains from comedy is validating, she also struggles with the risk of rejection that can come with comedy sets, particularly in Part 4, when she is coping with the aftermath of her ex-wife, Cass, abandoning her. This insecurity about her worth leads Ari to pursue non-monogamous, casual sexual encounters. Some of these, such as her occasional flings with her friend Gabe, are functional relationships that do not hurt anyone’s feelings. The novel portrays some others, however, such as the multiple couples she engages with while avoiding her feelings about Josh as an avoidance tactic that she uses to avoid romantic, emotional intimacy.

Cass’s rejection is particularly painful to Ari because her marriage was the first time she had a committed romantic relationship.