Chapter 10

With every chapter the change of Ugly Girl's personality is getting clearer and clearer, now she verbalises this herself, being almost afraid of her sudden weakness. Ugly Girl used not to "shrink away in shyness"(p.84, l.10) and definitely not because of boys, before the "misunderstanding" happened.
Did she even answer Matt, when he accosted her, smiling kindly? I don't understand what she should be afraid of? A possible answer to this question could be, that Matt's kindness and the word "your friend Matt" seem to make Ursula Riggs feel her pseudo-identity and protective barrier "Ugly Girl" being deceived...
I got the impression that Ursula Riggs feels her disability for handling irrational feelings, as for example sympathy or friendship. She’s still not as far, that she could name these feelings, but she has certainly noticed those forgotten feelings, making her insecure.
In my opinion, there is another contrast in this chapter, the struggle between Ursula and the “warrior” for the dominance in their body. Sadly, I think, the chapter ends with a win for Ugly Girl, who decides to just ignore any kind of threat to her personality, feelings have been buried again.
In our English lesson, we could talk about her possible choice of words for her “first” conversation with Matt, would she “go down to him” and admit how much she really had helped him, risking a potential friendship? Or would she stay cold in the same way she has done so many times before?