Big mouth & ugly girl

By Joyce Carol Oates

Take notes while reading. Write down quotes, pages or passages that interest you. Come up with questions for discussion. Also, see questions below: Read the four first chapters. What is your impression of Big Mouth? Ugly Girl? What do we know about them this far? Describe them! What are they like in school? At home? What about their nicknames? What is their relation to each other and what about relations to family and friends? What happens at the basketball game? How does Ugly Girl react on the news about Matt? Read ch 5. Comment on what happens! What is going to happen next? Why does this become such a big issue? Who are the witnesses? Read ch. 6-9 How do their families react to what happened to Matt? What do you think about Ursulas decision? Why does she help him? Would you do the same in her situation? Why, why not? Comment on the discussion between Ursula and her mother in the beginning of ch.8. From whose perspective is the story told? At the end of ch.9 it feels as if the conflict is solved. What do you think the rest of the book is about? Isnt it over yet? Read ch. 10-15. What happens to Ursula and Matt after the incident? How do they react? How do they act? What about people around them? Why? What goes on in their heads? In chapter 16 we get to meet the Brewer twins for the first time. Whats your impression of them? Comment on the part where Ursula thinks she sees Matt. Read ch. 17-22 Quite a few important things happen in these chapters. Discuss! How do you interpret the very two last lines in ch 22? Read ch. 23-28 What happens in these chapters? Read ch. 29 Discuss the communication between Matt and Ursula! Read ch. 30-32 Comment on the conversation between Ursula and her mother in ch 31. Also, discuss the rumours/what people say about Matt and Ursula. Read ch. 33-37 In these chapters there is some sort of a turning-point. In what way? What happens and why? In ch. 36 Matt is going to see a doctor, a shrink. What happens? He also discusses the lawsuit with his father. What opinions are there?

How do you think Matt and Ursula act towards their parents? Do you dare to stand up to your parents if needed? Would you tell a friend if you thought that they and/or their parents were wrong about something important? Do you often agree with your parents or do you have many arguments? About what? Do you think it is common that teenagers have fights with their parents? Why is it like that then? Or is it just prejudices? Read ch. 38-43 Read Matts description of Ursula. What does he say and how does she react? How is his description of her compared to what shes been saying about herself? Another turning point what happens? What does this incident lead to? Read ch 44 Ursula talks about Ugly Girl as in a third person. How do you interpret Ugly Girl? In the end of the chapter Ursula gets a new dimension in her relation to her parents. Describe! In ch 45 there is a sort of a deja-vu experience, but with another ending. Discuss what happens! Read ch. 47-49 Ursula gets a new haircut. Why? How do people react to Matt now? To Ursula? What do you think about the end of the story? Would you have liked to see another ending? When you have finished the book: Think about the two main characters: what differences and similarities do they have? If it was the other way around do you think Matt would have helped Ursula? Do you have a favourite character? How is the book written? Comment on the language in the book. What is the thrill in this story? What makes you want to go on reading (or not)? What thoughts and feelings do you have after having read this book? Did you like it or not? Your own questions?

Discuss the way we worked with the book! Have you learnt anything from this project? Why, why not? What could have been done better, feedback to Kerstin! Enough time?