Big Mouth & Ugly Girl is Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over fifty novels, as well as many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction...

's first young adult novel. It was published in 2002 by HarperCollins

HarperCollins

HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...

.

Plot summary

Matthew Donaghy (Big Mouth) has always had a big mouth. But it never got him into trouble — until one day when two detectives escort him out of class for questioning. The charge is that Matt has been accused of threatening to blow up Rocky River High School. Although he is innocent of the accusation, people shun him, and many adults, including the principal of Rocky River High School, get suspicious.

Ursula Riggs is a strong athlete at Rocky River High. She secretly gives herself the proper name "Ugly Girl." Ursula has no time for petty high school distractions like friends (except for her friend Bonnie) and dating. Ursula is content to mind her own business. She hardly knows Matt Donaghy at the start of the novel.

But Ursula knows injustice when she sees it and is not afraid to speak out. Ursula is the only one who stands by Matt when he needs help, earning his thanks. Because Matt's friends don't "want to get involved," they look right through him and he becomes an outsider, like Ursula. They become friends, and one day, when an anonymous telephone

Telephone

The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...

 caller, pretending to be Matt, calls the school and attempts a bomb threat. However, the imposter, ending up as Reverend Brewer, a prejudiced and abominable man (his daughters are the ones who convicted Matt), is punished severely. Matt is freed of the stigma and shame that he faced and he and Ursula eventually fall in love. His friends come back, too.

First chapter

In chapter one Matt Donaghy, who is one of the protagonists, is sitting in room 220 at Rocky River Highschool with his three mates Russ, Stacey and Skeet. They are writing and discussing Matt's play for the drama club until two police detectives come in and take Matt, who is confused and thinks that something has happened to his family!

Second chapter

The second chapter of the novel is about the other protagonist Ursula Riggs. Ursula is one of the best athletes at Rocky River High school but she is not very popular and likes to be on her own. In the chapter Ursula is having a basketball game against the team’s archrival Tarrytown. In the last seconds of the game Ursula has to shoot free throws but she fails, her team loses and she feels everybody is blaming her.

Third chapter

After the basketball game Ursula is having a shower alternating between hot and cold temperatures to punish herself. There is nobody who says goodbye to Ursula. The reader gets to know that Ursula’s father Clayton Riggs is a well-paid businessman. When Ursula gets out of the school she is surprised because no one seems to be angry with her for the moment. Bonnie LeMoyne tells her that there is a bomb threat caused by Matt Donaghy. There are many rumours but Ursula does not believe them.

Fourth chapter

In this chapter Matt is questioned by the policemen but he still does not know what has happened. He is very nervous and is still thinking about his family.

Fifth chapter

Matt is at the office of the headmaster, Mr. Parrish, where the police detectives interrogate him and he gets to know that he is accused of having planned to blow up the school. Matt denies this but the detectives do not believe him so he is taken to Rocky River police headquarters. There he meets his mother and talks to her about what happened...

Sixth chapter

Ursula is at home watching TV. In the local news there is a report about what happened at her school but Ursula switches to another channel as she does not want her little sister to know about the incident. Then Ursula writes an email to Ms Schultz, who is the coach of her basketball team, to tell her that she is quitting the team. In a discussion with her family Ursula gets annoyed. At the end of the chapter she writes an email to Matt Donaghy telling him that he should phone her.

Seventh chapter

Matt is suspended from school for three days minimum by Mr Parrish. He is trying to contact his friends by email but none of them answer. After reading Ursula’s email he has doubts that it is genuine but he finally calls Ursula Riggs and she tells him she knows that he is innocent.

Eighth chapter

Ursula has planned to go to Mr Parrish and speak for Matt Donaghy but her parents do not want her to get involved, so they are arguing, but Ursula goes to Mr Parrish anyway and convinces her friend Eveann to do the same.

Nineth chapter

Matt was no longer suspended from school and he receives some email from his friends but he does not have the impression that they are treating him as they did before. Finally Matt writes an email to thank Ursula Riggs.

Tenth chapter

Matt is back at school and wants to thank Ursula again but she does not really acknowledge him.

Eleventh chapter

Matt is typing an email to Ursula intended of thanking her again but Matt deletes the emails.

Twelfth chapter

At school Ursula is sent to Mr Parrish who thanks her and tells her that he is going to write a letter of recommendation to her parents.

Thirteenth chapter

Matt goes to Mr Bernhardt and resigns his vice presidency of the junior class. Mr Bernhardt hesitates but in the end he accepts Matt’s resignation.

Fourteenth chapter

Matt is at Mr Steiner’s office. Mr Steiner refuses to print Matt’s sarcastic drama play in the ‘Rocky River Run‘ so Matt also resigns from the staff of it. Matt’s parents are starting to worry about Matt and his behavior.

Sixteenth chapter

In this chapter Ursula’s parents receive the letter of praise and they are proud of Ursula’s courageous behavior. Ursula goes with her mother and her younger sister Lisa who is doing ballet to a dance troupe in Manhattan but Ursula does not like it and leaves during the show and goes to an art gallery. She thinks about the Brewer twins whose father is a right-wing and ultra religious reverend. By walking through Manhattan she fancies to see Matt with a girl but she recognizes that it is not Matt.

Seventeenth chapter

Matt’s family gets an anonymous letter which says that the Donaghys are not safe. Matt’s mother thinks about moving away from her neighborhood because she no longer feels well.

Eighteenth chapter

Ursula faces the Brewer twins who are calling her names and attempting to bully

Bully

Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior manifested by the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when the behavior is habitual and involves an imbalance of power...

 her, using slurs like "jew-girl" although Ursula
isn't Jewish, insults they highly likely picked up from their father's prejudices.

Nineteenth chapter

Everyone at Rocky River gets to know that the Brewer twins have cause all the trouble. Ursula gets more liked at school because she found out the truth.

Twentieth chapter

Matt and his family are starting a lawsuit against Rocky River Highschool because their lives have become difficult since Matt was falsely accused. In a discussion Ursula’s father wants Ursula to tell Matt that the lawsuit is not good for him.

Twenty-first chapter

Matt gets bullied and beaten up by some older pupils because his family started the lawsuit.

Twenty-second chapter

Ursula is at home and got the feeling of a hole in life because she is not exercising basketball. Ursula makes fun about Lisa’s ballet lessons and for that reason Lisa is very angry towards Ursula. At the end of the chapter Ursula goes hiking in the Rocky River Nature Preserve.

Twenty-third chapter

In this chapter Matt goes hiking as well in the Nature Preserve. He is very frustrated and feels very bad. He is thinking about his golden retriever Pumpkin and what his family and his dog would do if he committed suicide.

Twenty-fourth chapter

Ursula sees Matt who is looking down the edge and thinks about committing suicide. Matt is getting very pale and Ursula successfully prevents him from finishing his life.

Twenty-fifth chapter

Matt writes another email to Ursula in which he thanks her for saving his life. This time he really sends the email instead of deleting like several times before.

Twenty-sixth chapter

Ursula has an email correspondence in which Matt starts showing some feelings. This time Matt writes again an email which he deletes afterwards.

Twenty-seventh chapter

In this chapter Matt is together with Pumpkin. Both are very pleased about seeing each other.

Twenty-eighth chapter

Matt is thinking about how he grabbed Ursula’s hand when she saved his life. And then he continues his walk.

Twenty-ninth chapter

The chapter is about an email correspondence during the night between Matt and Ursula. Both are showing more and more feelings to each other and write about personal issues. Ursula and Matt schedule to meet at the Nature Preserve the following day..

Thirtieth chapter

In chapter thirty Ursula and Matt’s relationship becomes closer. They start having lunch together at school and they go out for hiking.

Thirty-first chapter

In this chapter Ursula and her mother have an argument because her mother is finding out about Ursula’s relationship to Matt. The day after Ursula has a chat with Courtney who is motivating Ursula to come back to the basketball team. When Ursula’s mother gets to know that Ursula is a real friend of Matt she is getting angry and they have another argument. The mother is also angry about the Donaghys suing the school but Ursula defends Matt’s family.

Thirty-second chapter

While Rocky River Highschool is seeing that Matt and Ursula are a couple. They are often seen together.

Thirty-third chapter

In chapter thirty-three Matt and Ursula are hiking together. Matt asks Ursula about her opinion towards the lawsuit. Ursula says she thinks it was mistake to start the lawsuit. Matt does not want to believe that Ursula is not supporting Matt’s family and they are getting unhappy together.

Thirty-fourth chapter

Ursula is at home and waiting for emails or calls from Matt but he is not contacting her. Ursula feels very sad about it.

Thirty-fifth chapter

Matt is as sad as Ursula about their argument but he thinks it was right of not accepting criticism towards his family.

Thirty-sixth chapter

At the beginning of chapter thirty-six Matt is at home and his mother talks to him about going to the psychologist. Matt reluctantly accepts to go but shortly before the appointment with the psychologist starts Matt leaves. At the evening Matt is discussing with his father about the lawsuit. Matt wants his father to stop the lawsuit but his father says that it is too late to change opinion.

Thirty-seventh chapter

This chapter is about Ursula being at home. Her mother recognizes that Ursula is not as happy as before. Ursula writes an email in which she wants tell to Matt that she is missing him but at the end she deletes the email without sending it.

Thirty-eighth chapter

Matt has placed a piece of paper in Ursula’s locker in which he is inviting Ursula to a treasure hunt. The ‘treasure‘ is another piece of paper in which Matt writes that he misses Ursula and he excuses for his behaviour. Matt and Ursula meet and are happy about their relationship again.

Thirty-ninth chapter

The only happening in this chapter is a call in which Matt tells Ursula a cruel fact.

Fortieth chapter

In chapter forty Matt’s brother Alex comes home and tells that Matt’s dog Pumpkin has been kidnapped by people driving a dark-colored SUV. Matt is very shocked and goes out to search for his dog but he is not able to find her. For that reason they call the police. At the evening Matt calls Ursula to tell her what has happened. One day later Matt receives a call and hears Pumpkin yelping in the phone but the line goes dead without anyone talking.

Forty-first chapter

Ursula comes to Matt’s home and there is another anonymous call. Matt and Ursula talk to each other and when Ursula speaks with Matt’s mother they find out that they have a lot in common.

Forty-second chapter

Matt and Ursula think that Trevor Cassity who is a senior student at Rocky River Highschool is responsible for the kidnapping of Pumpkin. They drive over to Trevor’s house to confront him. Trevor is at home and after an argument Matt and Ursula set a deadline to get back Pumpkin and leave.

Forty-third chapter

Pumpkin comes back before the deadline exceeds. Pumpkin likely had been let out in the neighborhood and found her way back home. At the end of the chapter Matt writes an email in the name of his dog to thank Ursula.

Forty-fourth chapter

In chapter forty-four Ursula is rejoining the basketball team. She plays the two remaining matches and is the top-scorer for her team though they lose. It is the first time that Ursula’s family comes for watching her game. Matt is also watching the game and at the end Ursula’s mother wants him to accompany them home.

Forty-fifth chapter

Matt is at school and there is a fire threat. Matt finds out the school has received a bomb threat on the phone and thinks that he will be blamed again. After leaving the school buildings Matt is taken by some policeman but they bring him home for his own safety. At the end of the chapter Matt writes an email knowing that Reverend Brewer put the bomb threatening.

Forty-sixth chapter

In the media there is report about Reverend Brewer has put the bomb threatening and is punished by a bail of $500,000. Matt‘s parents also announce that they are dropping the lawsuit.

Forty-seventh chapter

In this chapter Ursula changes her look which is appreciated as cool by her little sister and Matt writes another drama play which is sent to the ‘Almanach‘ by Ursula.

Forty-eighth chapter

Matt is getting famous at school and he is invited to many parties. He seems to be proud of Ursula because he wants to be accompanied by Ursula to the parties. Then at the end they have a picnic at their secret place and in the end they kiss.