Analysis Of Big Mouth And Ugly Girl By Joyce Carol Oates

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl, by Joyce Carol Oates, is a fictional novel about the emotional turmoil facing two teens in a suburban high school. Although the story ends with a strong feeling of hope, there are often times throughout the book in which the main characters face trials that test the boundaries of teenage emotions. The story switches off between the viewpoints of the main characters, Matt Donaghy and Ursula Riggs, who face everything from parents who don’t listen to being accused of terrorism. It is through these hard times that the main characters come to know each other better and grow their relationship. Big Mouth and Ugly Girl is a novel in which two teens face major trials of youth, which ultimately changes each individual and brings

Ursula’s characteristics are shown as being strong, confident, and independent. One other major quality of Ursula’s is her integrity. Showing her strength, Ursula is a member of her varsity basketball team and is described as being well-built (Oates 9). She is not only physically strong, but mentally and emotionally strong as well, for she is able to help those in need around her. Ursula’s confidence is shown throughout the story, especially when she isn’t afraid to defy her parents to help Matt in his crisis (Oates 67-74). The novel showcases Ursula’s independence as well, as she distances herself throughout the whole book and puts on the “Ugly Girl” persona up until she becomes closer to Matt (Oates 1-266). One last quality expressed by Ursula Riggs in this book is her integrity. As soon as she heard about Matt Donaghy’s situation, Ursula decided that the truth needed to be known and Matt needed to have his name cleared because it was the right thing to do (Oates 1-266). Ursula Riggs is one of the main characters in Big Mouth and Ugly Girl, and her characteristics of strength, confidence, independence, and integrity are clearly showcased throughout the