1. What kind of person is Matt Donaghy?

Matt Donaghy is a light-hearted and smart boy in his teen years. He seems to be the
class-clown, known for being a comical character, yet a good study at the same time,
with a creative side (as showcased by him being into theatre and working on a
one-act play when he was picked up by the two men). Ursula mentions him not being
like most other boys at Rocky River High, making girls the butts of his jokes and not
showing a highly sarcastic nature. This hints at a sort of maturity in spite of the
immaturity that comes with being a teen boy, especially a class-clown.

2. Ursula seems to have two different personalities; Ursula Riggs and Ugly
Girl. What’s the difference between the two?
Ursula describes Ursula Riggs as an anxious, cowardly and pathetic girl, often
referring to instances happening in 7th or 8th grade. She associates Ursula Riggs
with shame and embarrassment, which differentiates from her Ugly Girl-personality,
which she describes as a girl that doesn’t care what others think. Ugly Girl is her own
person, proud of her “ugliness.” Ugly Girl is hot headed and unafraid, untouchable in
a way. The way she separates Ugly Girl from the crowd, refusing to conform to the
notion of what a true woman is, also shows courage and shamelessness. It’s clear
she prefers Ugly Girl over Ursula Riggs.

3. What’s Ursula’s family like? What’s her role in the family?

Ursulas family seems quite stiff. The way her father doesn’t spend much time with
them creates a gap between them, a lack of connection, making the interactions
between them seem forced and impersonal. It also seems as if they ostracize Ursula
quite a bit, for her appearance, her thoughts and opinions, the way she behaves. She
hasn’t turned out the way her parents wished she had. Lisa (her younger sister), on
the other hand seems to be the perfect daughter. Feminine, small and nice with the
dream of becoming a ballerina. Lisa is the daughter they wish Ursula was, and they
seem to be ashamed of Ursula. This must surely create a great divide between the
family. It seems as if the dynamic is very off, and that Ursula is excluded. It seems
that she herself, as well as her family, consider her “the black sheep” of the family.

4. Why does Ursula react differently than everybody else when she hears
about the bomb-threat?
Since she has been in the same grade as Matt since 5th grade, she has a hard time
believing the accusations made about him. That, along with the fact that she’s the
type to go against the stream, leads to a skepticism from her.