You're Ugly, Too

You're Ugly, Too by Lorrie Moore

In Lorrie Moore's short story, the plot centers around the life of a single woman from a small town in Illinois named Zoe. Zoe is quit alone and out of place in her world. She feels as though she belongs in the East Coast, where the people are more sophisticated and where she could become married. However, do to her current situation and her odd, sarcastic sense of humor, she finds it difficult to find a man. Although Zoe's life appears lonely and depressing, it is hard to feel sympathy for her. It is not the fact that her sarcastic wit repels people away from her that makes her unsympathetic. That trait of hers, however, is very admiral that she at least acts herself. What makes it hard to feel sympathy for Zoe is that despite her longing to move back to the East Coast and find a man, she shows no such effort in achieving those goals. Instead of taking a few risks and leaving her confort zone, she appears stuck in her situation. It is only by the request of her sister that she ever attempts at meeting new people. Also, with her younger sister soon to be married, Zoe finds much to gripe about this. Her sister responds, "You're only saying that because you're five years older than I am and you're not married" (Moore).