You're Ugly, Too
Lorrie Moore
I really connected with Zoe as a character through her eccentricities: her purse with all of her baggies, all of her books about career women and their grief, singing while walking into her lecture halls. She is nothing less than weird, and the best part is that she makes fun of herself. A student asked her, "what is your perfume", and her response, "room freshener" gives her a sense of unapologetic honesty. She seemingly has nothing to hide. I don't think however, that while her incongruences make her interesting, the don't elicit any sense of empathy for her being alone. I think she has such a confidence and comfort in her own skin that the audience doesn't perceive her as a woman that would need or even want a man. I think that's what I like about her. She does what she wants, she is who she is, and she doesn't rely on a man to define her. Her loopy but down-to-earth character makes it unsurprising that she doesn't end up with anyone, but she doesn't seem to mind. In fact, she seems like she's better off than "finding herself in a bitter custody battle... for the kids."
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