The Benefits of Being an Octopus

Zoey’s main conflict is that she feels inferior to other students because she comes from a lower socioeconomic class. One of the first things the narrative reveals about Zoey is that she struggles to find the time and resources to do her homework. She says that she doesn’t have the markers, posterboard, and glitter needed for take-home projects. Her image as an underperforming student has led to bullying: “[L]ast year in sixth grade, when I actually turned in a poster project, Kaylee Vine announced to the whole class, ‘Everyone! Alert the authorities! Zoey Albro turned in a project. The world must be ending’” (6). These taunts followed Zoey for the rest of the week, bringing her unwanted attention. Because of her negative experiences, she equates any attention in school with negative attention. She’s self-conscious about her clothing and appearance: “The last thing I need is to be walking around with a giant footprint on my bag. I’d rather pretend that I’m not sure what people think of me instead of being forced to carry around physical proof of it” (27). Zoey’s strong defense mechanisms allow her to operate in school despite her inferiority complex.