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sam rice
Abbi Rice
Mrs. Keller
American Literature, 3
5 May 2008
Big Mouth and Ugly Girl
In the book Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates, Matt
Donaghy is wrongly accused for a bomb threat. Matt gets pulled from class
one day and questioned by the police and administrators. What was only a
joke at lunch with his friends turned out to be the hot gossip of the school
and town. Ursula Riggs happened to walk by Matt at lunch when we was
talking with his friends and knew that the accusations were not true.
Ursula went to the principal to talk with him about Matt. She said to him,
"'The implication was that Matt could not-would not-do such a thing. No one
in a million years would interpret it any other way'" (70). After hearing
this, the principal thanked Ursula and Matt's charges were let off and he
was allowed back at school. After his "arrest" Matt's friends and teachers
acted differently towards him, even his parents.
The setting of the book is modern day Westchester County.
Westchester County is a wealthy suburban area in New York. Because
Westchester County is a suburban area there is not a lot of crime so Matt's
suspension was making the headlines of all the local papers. One headline
in the New York Times said, "VIOLENCE NARROWLY AVERTED-OR "SUBURBAN
HYSTERIA"?"(78). Many other headlines like this one were printed as well.
This helped make the plot exciting because the characters exaggerated the
situation causing more conflicts. The time setting of the story helps
readers identify closely with the plot and characters.
At this point in the story a number of important events have
occurred. First, Matt is wrongly accused for putting out a bomb threat.
Next, Ursula sticks up for him and ends up getting him out of trouble and
back at school. Then, Matt returns to school only to find his friends,
teachers, and family acting weird and distant. In the last part of this
section Matt's mom receives the newspaper with yet another headline about
the threat. Next to the headline someone had scribbled in red marker, "YOUR
NEIGHBORS ARE NOT SAFE WE ARE NOT GOING TO FORGET" (124). Matt's mother is
very upset by this and begins to consider their safety. I predict that in
the next part of the book Matt will face many challenges. I think that many
people will judge him and turn their backs on him. I feel that at this
point Matt's only true friend is going to be Ursula.
Mrs. Keller
American Literature, 3
5 May 2008
Big Mouth and Ugly Girl
In the book Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates, Matt
Donaghy is wrongly accused for a bomb threat. Matt gets pulled from class
one day and questioned by the police and administrators. What was only a
joke at lunch with his friends turned out to be the hot gossip of the school
and town. Ursula Riggs happened to walk by Matt at lunch when we was
talking with his friends and knew that the accusations were not true.
Ursula went to the principal to talk with him about Matt. She said to him,
"'The implication was that Matt could not-would not-do such a thing. No one
in a million years would interpret it any other way'" (70). After hearing
this, the principal thanked Ursula and Matt's charges were let off and he
was allowed back at school. After his "arrest" Matt's friends and teachers
acted differently towards him, even his parents.
The setting of the book is modern day Westchester County.
Westchester County is a wealthy suburban area in New York. Because
Westchester County is a suburban area there is not a lot of crime so Matt's
suspension was making the headlines of all the local papers. One headline
in the New York Times said, "VIOLENCE NARROWLY AVERTED-OR "SUBURBAN
HYSTERIA"?"(78). Many other headlines like this one were printed as well.
This helped make the plot exciting because the characters exaggerated the
situation causing more conflicts. The time setting of the story helps
readers identify closely with the plot and characters.
At this point in the story a number of important events have
occurred. First, Matt is wrongly accused for putting out a bomb threat.
Next, Ursula sticks up for him and ends up getting him out of trouble and
back at school. Then, Matt returns to school only to find his friends,
teachers, and family acting weird and distant. In the last part of this
section Matt's mom receives the newspaper with yet another headline about
the threat. Next to the headline someone had scribbled in red marker, "YOUR
NEIGHBORS ARE NOT SAFE WE ARE NOT GOING TO FORGET" (124). Matt's mother is
very upset by this and begins to consider their safety. I predict that in
the next part of the book Matt will face many challenges. I think that many
people will judge him and turn their backs on him. I feel that at this
point Matt's only true friend is going to be Ursula.