Character Analysis
Cady's mom and dad love her like crazy, but, like Ms. Norbury, they aren't very helpful. Don't get us wrong: they've done a wonderful job homeschooling Cady and raising her to be a levelheaded teen.
Once she's dropped into public school, though, they're kind of lost.
Her dad in particular seems to have spent the past twelve years not in Africa, but on Jupiter. When Cady reveals that she's failing calculus, he grounds her, after struggling to remember what the world for grounding someone is. Later, when Cady leaves the house despite being grounded, Cady's dad is flummoxed:
CADY'S MOM: Where's Cady?
CADY'S DAD: She went out.
CADY'S MOM: She's grounded.
CADY'S DAD: Are they not allowed out when they're grounded?
No, dude. They're not.
Maybe Cady's dad has never seen a movie or watched a TV show or read a book. But we doubt it. As the parent of a newly socialized sixteen-year-old, he's in over his head. Just like Cady's mom, Cady's dad means well, but he isn't always the most effective parent.