A love triangle connects Taylor Swift’s “august,” “Cardigan,” and “Betty.” The three Folklore songs tell related parts of a fictional teenage romance involving James, Betty, and the unnamed girl who narrates “august.”
“august” focuses on the girl’s perspective as she experiences a temporary summer relationship with James. “Cardigan” presents Betty’s side of the emotional story, while “Betty” follows James as he addresses the consequences of cheating and tries to repair his relationship with Betty.
Swift described Folklore as an album built around imagined people, situations, and story arcs. This approach allowed one event to be examined through different voices rather than presented as a single straightforward narrative. The songs therefore reward listeners who compare their lyrics and timelines.
The unnamed narrator is sometimes called Augustine or Augusta by fans and in discussions of Swift’s explanation, but neither name is presented as a formal character name in the lyrics. The central, clearly established structure is the love triangle itself.