Approach of the Study
The social condition of Sheila Levine is not good enough for her to rise her confidence. She actually can join groups of people that have a good self-confidence
then she can grow her social life. She can meet many kind of person and she also can meet the right guy for her to get married. Unfortunately, she chooses to close
herself and hangs out with group of hopeless person. Here is a statement shows that Sheila is not a confident person.
”I sat with the other dateless girls, some too tall, some too fat, pimples, bad breath, you name it
.” Parent, 1972: 7. From the statement, the reader can see that Sheila do not do any effort to make herself better.
However, it makes Sheila unable to join groups of popular people because her low self-confidence. It makes her stuck in one place and cannot grow to be
better. In New York city, almost all of the girls are looking for husbands including
Sheila Levine. At the same time, Sheila feels that she cannot compete with the girls in New York city which have good or bad appearance. She feels not confident with
her appearance even though there are so many girls which have the same appearence with her.
I couldn’t compete. I couldn’t sit in Loeb Student Center day after day pretending to read The Behavior Problems of the Young Child, eyes glued
to the door. ... “Excuse me, is that seat taken?”... moving over gracefully
“No, no, it’s not.”... “I see you reading The Behavior Problems of the Young Child.”... crossing legz throwing head back “Yes, yes, I am.”... “Could I
persuade you to put it down and come with me for a cup of coffee?”... “Love to” eyelashes batting so hard, they’re becoming unglued... It never
happened to me. The only man who ever spoke to me in Loeb Student Center was the guard informing me that they would be closing soon Parent, 1972:
14.
Besides her appearance problem, she also feels that she is not attractive enough to compete with other girls in New York city. Most of girls who live in New
York city have a high confident. They can attract man easily. They start a conversation with a guy they just meet. It shows that they have an extra self-
confident. However, Sheila feels that she is not attractive enough to start a conversation
with other guys. She does not know how to start a conversation with man. She does not know what kind of question that will make guys interest to have some
conversation with her. She asks useless question which makes them lazy to answer properly. It makes Sheila feel that there is no guy that wants to talk to her because
she is ugly. Linda took their coat into bedroom and piled them on the bed with the
other. I wish I was under them. There I was alone with six men, count them, six, and feeling rotten and self-conscious.
Hows your aunt? I dont know. You see her more than I do.
How are things down at the welfare department? Hasnt Linda been telling you whats going on?
You mean about the strike? Yeah
Yeah, Lindas been telling me all about it. Then whadda you asking me for? Hurry back, Linda, please hurry back,
Im sinking. How are thing with you Joshua?
I told you already. Fine. Help, please, somebody help me. Parent, 1972: 52-53.
The feeling of low self-confidence of Sheila actually makes her not have
much chances to show up her ownself to others. She just closes herself to others. She does not give herself a chance to be better. She cannot hang out with kind of
friends she wants. She lets it happen to herself because of her low self-confidence.
However, it also makes it difficult for Sheila to find the Mr. Right and difficult to get married.