You're Ugly Too

Lorrie Moore's You're Ugly Too portrays a bitterly sarcastic woman. Zoe Hendricks lives a boring life as a school teacher. From what the reader sees, it seems as if Zoe hates her life, and the people in it. Lorrie Moore does a good job using characterization in order to show Zoe's personality. Lorrie gives multiple anecdotes that display Zoe's cynical ways. She seems to be unable to take things seriously, choosing instead to make a joke out of things. She is also immature in her comments to her students and to her peers. Moore portrays Zoe as a depressed woman who is angry at the woman. The story is entertaining due to the little stories told to the side of the main plot. These include her being asked "What is your perfume" by a student, and replying "room freshener." This displays just one of the frequent sarcastic quips that she uses and that move the story forward. Overall, Lorie Moore's short story was entertaining primarily due to the character's scathing remarks.