Big Mouth & Ugly Girl

The Rocky River Nature Preserve is Ursula’s “favorite place” (12) and the site of Matt’s frequent hiking trips following his accusation. A place of solitude, the Nature Preserve’s wintry trails allow Matt a reprieve from the negativity of his social and familial surroundings. With their icy white landscapes, they also symbolize Matt’s desire to erase his troubles like he erases emails he does not want to send: “All these things Matt meant to erase just by hiking in the preserve on this windy blue day” (145). This erasure takes a darker turn when the nature preserve serves as the site of Matt’s attempted suicide (an erasure of his very self), but the site is also redeemed by Ursula’s strange sense of being drawn there to rescue Matt (143). In the final chapter Matt and Ursula share their first kiss in the preserve.

Emails are a consistent motif throughout Big Mouth & Ugly Girl. They primarily serve as Matt and Ursula’s most common mode of communication outside of school. They are how Ursula first contacts Matt when she offers to serve as a witness on his behalf, and the use of this medium sets her apart from Matt’s other friends; Matt emails his friends for their support but receives no reply.