Comparison of the characters of Zoe and Lucille in the short stories The Best girlfriend You never had and You are Ugly, too.
Character analysis in a short story is a major literary requirement. Through the actions of major characters in the book, several traits and attitudes emerge. The story, You are Ugly, Too is one instance of a character driven story. The plot of the story is rather sparse and is filled with critical perspective of Zoe Hendricks. The major layering of the story carries a series of anecdotes, which intertwine with flashbacks to create a small work of art. The major events revolve around the life of Zoe who has a near cynical relationship with other members of her association. She apparently flies to Manhattan to have a time with her younger sister during Halloween (Stone, Online). The point of view of the story dwells upon this college professor at Midwest College. The second story, The Best Girlfriend You Never Had is another collection that displays the wrong turns in a relationship. Pam Houston is an ending piece displaying Lucille. The character is out to please her father and always gets an approval from her in order to date men. She ends up dating men who are not suitable for her and suffers different kinds of stress. This essay attempts a comparative analysis of the major characters in the two stories, Lucille in The Best Girlfriend You Never Had and Zoe in You are Ugly, Too.
In the stories, both characters have trouble falling for the right kind of lover. They have relationship problems and struggle to find better means of fostering their relationships. In You are Ugly Too, Zoe has trouble striking an elaborate relationship with men in her vicinity. Lucille in The Best Girlfriend You Never Had tells the reader how she loves Lee. They are great friends but Lee loves Quinevere. Quinevere on the other hand loves someone else who does not reciprocate her love. The chain is ambiguous as the real lovers of the characters are not ready to have them. Furthermore, the life of Lucille has a dysfunctional relationship with her parents’ alcoholism. Just like Zoe, she takes a break from all those troubles and drives away where a traffic police officer stops her. The officer sympathizes with her and let her go considering that the trouble she has is a punishment.
Lucille is loving and has an earnest desire to have a genuine relationship. Zoe, on the other hand, appears to have lost hope of getting a stable relationship. She has a pessimistic stand, which interferes with her current associations. Lucille became very desperate for an acceptance with Gordon because of the lack of acceptance in her life. She allows Gordon to become very dominating in her life. The struggle for acceptance is so strong in her that she allows herself to be loved than to be mugged. Additionally, Zoe has a critical attitude regarding striking any meaningful relationship with her new mates. This is evident in the meeting with Earl at the Halloween party and the foul cry by her students.
Lucille is thirty-one years old, an age that is close to Zoe’s. She loves photography and has an obsession for finding a lasting love in her environment. Her character is quite similar with Zoe’s where they have a longing to have a sustained relationship. This type of relationship appears not to forth come as they both cringe in anticipation. The different flashbacks and anecdotes are reminiscent of a well-lived life with two chagrins at hand.
On the other hand, Zoe is humorous and wades through life in humor. Despite her humor, she has a sarcastic stand that makes hers to go out of her mind. She questions the obtuse names and labels in her surrounding like oblong and Paris. She is particularly aware of her edge on issues especially those that touch on her life with the opposite sex. Her students have a hard time with her because they feel that she is often sarcastic and not free with them. Her relationship with men is also questionable and worth noting because she has been out with three men since she moved to the place. Her countenance is quite unlike others since she prefers not the Heidi’s and cleavages that other men want but she is actually undecided on whatever to furnish her house. The house that she bought was an indication of her indecision since she kept furnishing and rearranging it repeatedly.
The tinge of humor in her words is selective as she tries to write a book on humor. The irony of her humor is that nobody finds it funny. In one instance that a student asked her what perfume was, she replied room freshener and smiled while the student did not feel the urge to smile at all. She Keeps her distance and is quite careful about any kind of relationship. There are instances that she treats her love life with a sarcastic tone that she gives to her life. Moore is careful not to reveal too much of Zoe’s personal life to spoil the humor. Instead, the author attempts to unravel her life short and crisp tones that relate to her disturbed life.
Lucy is more practical and sacrificial in her approach. She knows that she loves Lee but is more willing to let that love go since Lee does not love her. She instead craves for Gordon’s love and does all she could to let her survive the acceptance. In one instance, she agreed to jeopardize her life for the love of her love. The explanation behind her character cans emanates from her lack of fatherly love. Looking at her personal life through her flashbacks, she confesses of her parents who had a hard time as alcoholics who did not have any connection with their daughter. They did not consider her and even have any connection until she could bear it no longer. She decides to run away.
Lucy is sacrificial and is ready to do anything for love. Unlike Zoe who is sarcastic, she is sacrificial and can do anything for love compared to Zoe who had an incident meeting Earl at the Halloween party. The man talked of love while she did not even have any feeling of love. She has a cynical opinion of Earl claiming she has dressed like a woman. She easily distracts the conversation with crazy stories. For instance, when Earl talks of love, she talks of a girl who was a violinist who decides to stop playing violin in order to marry the local boy. The marriage gets worse and she shoots herself. Such a story tells of her intrinsic repulsion with love life. Such are the insinuations of a sarcastic woman who finds it hard to find love.
In conclusion, the characters of Lucy and Zoe have certain planes of similarities and contrasts that are outstanding. The similarities are conventional and dwell upon their obsessive desire to have a love life. They are secretly out to ensure that they have a love life. Their traits have a linkage with their childhood relationship with their parents. Since the two characters both want a relationship, that emerges as a positive move towards the right direction. The sacrifice and practical approach is great but Lucille appears more secretive in her love. It is necessary that she initiate a positive communication with both Lee and Gordon. This will go a long way to help her face her troubled love life. Zoe, on the other hand, should try changing her attitude and stand on relationships. She should enlist the help of her sister and try to be more positive in her personality and being.
Reference
"Online Blogspot." Short Story Monthly. (2010). Print. http://ryanpstone.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Youre_Ugly_Too.31792846.pdf. Retrieved 23, July, 2013.
Lorrie Moore, Fiction, “You'e Ugly, Too,” The New Yorker, July 3, 1989, p. 30
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