Meg is the first character you are introduced to in the beginning of the book. Meg is shown to be doing poorly in school, acting out and being picked on by those who see her as an easy target. From the way Meg reflects on all that’s happened to her throughout the day and the situation with her dad not being present in her family, she is an analytical feeler. She has so many emotions and she questions a lot of things, yet does not know how to deal with them in a healthy manner. Her parents were described to be brilliant, her mother doesn’t show much emotions in terms of sadness or distress that her husband is away. Meg is insecure and under a lot of pressure, dealing with being the delinquent or rather “disappointment” of the family. When she looks at herself in the mirror, she’s sort of disgusted, describing herself as a monster. She’s very self-critical, a debbie-downer. “Why must everything happen to me?” she says. Meg is smart, but because of her low self-esteem, she projects this unkempt, unworthy persona. It is not until she is thrust into problem and is forced to use what she knows (to save the people she loves) that she learns to accept her flaw and faults and see her weaknesses as strengths.
I assume that this question is asking about Meg at the very beginning of the book. When readers are first introduced to Meg she is not feeling good about herself. She's in the attic throwing herself a little pity party. She thinks that she can do nothing right:
On top of Meg Murry doing everything wrong.
We know that some of her depression is school-related. Meg has just been dropped down to the lowest section of her grade level. To add insult to injury, Meg even has teachers insulting her intelligence.
Really, Meg, I don't understand how a child with parents as brilliant as yours are supposed to be can be such a poor student. If you don't manage to do a little better you'll have to stay back next year.
Lunch and peer-relations aren't going much better.
one of the girls said scornfully, "After all, Meg, we aren't grammar-school kids any more. Why do you always act like such a baby?"
The kids at school are even insulting to her brother. On her way home, one of the boys called her brother a "dumb baby." By this point, Meg isn't having any more of it. She tackles the boy, but comes out of the scuffle with torn clothes and a black eye.
The text specifically says that after this incident Meg thinks of herself as a "delinquent." Her thoughts of self-pity increase as she talks through her emotions with her cat. At one point, she calls herself a "monster."
"Go back to sleep," Meg said. "Just be glad you're a kitten and not a monster like me." She looked at herself in the wardrobe mirror and made a horrible face, baring a mouthful of teeth covered with braces.
She thinks she's ugly, dumb, and incapable, and Meg thinks that her family is the only group in the world that doesn't hate her.
No comments:
Post a Comment