Firegirl

Jessica’s arrival disrupts the normalcy of Tom’s class. Many students cannot—or do not wish to—see beyond Jessica’s painful disfigurement to the person she is inside. Abbott shows how the students’ reactions towards Jessica isolate her from the rest of the group rather than include her. Jeff represents the extremity of their exclusion. Although Tom also has trouble accepting Jessica, his empathy sets him apart and helps him understand Jessica and try to include her in the class. Abbott stresses the importance of seeing the whole person and not judging others negatively because of their difference.

The tight-knit community of Tom’s class reacts with shock and horror at Jessica’s difference. They view her as someone completely different from themselves and almost inhuman. Tom comments, “it was hard to think about her as being at all like the rest of us” (47). Jessica is an outsider, and this makes them uncomfortable. Students talk about Jessica, rather than to her, and “pretend she didn’t exist” (70). Ignoring Jessica increases her marginalization. The class’s reaction to Jessica’s physical difference alienates her socially from the ‘normal’ kids in class.

While most students take a passive-aggressive approach to Jessica, Jeff actively works to ostracize her and unite other students against her.