Responding to Question #3: This story makes extensive use of jokes. Discuss the importance of jokes to the characterization of Zoe and to the story as a whole.
' "You want a second opinion? OK," says the doctor. "You're ugly, too." She liked that joke. She thought it was terribly, terribly funny." ' (Page 360)
Humor is a an extremely present factor in this story, but it does not do much for Zoe's prospects as a life partner. Sarcastic comments are funny...until they aren't. After a while, they got a little boring and annoying. Zoe's jokes are mostly funny, but they are so overused that she comes off as a bitter old lady who is more suited to own 9 cats than to settle down and get married. These jokes characterize her as the comedian with whom everyone laughs but no one wants to get to know on a deeper level. The jokes only detract from her appeal as a regular person. Zoe's humor changes from something to which she can turn in awkward situations to something she resorts to in every single conversation. From the presence of a 2-year relationship in her past, she is slightly likable, but her jokes and history (no pun intended) mark her as a person with zero substance. Poor thing...
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