Lucky Girl - Completed

I was kinda trying to portray that feeling many art students get when they go to college after being used to being the big fish in a small pond back in school. Evie was always humble about her work, but at the same time when she did show it to people they always told her it was amazing. She's become attached to the idea that being a good artist is her main asset, and that it's one of the only things she has going for her which is why she sees Dean's comments as direct attacks on her. Even strict Ida likes her work, so why doesn't he? She feels that if she's not the best at this one thing then what does she have to show for herself.

Got it. Thanks for explaining. I suppose that reading that scene made me feel that Evie may not be as into art as I originally thought. I guess I feel that being a big fish in a small pond is stifling and lonely, because it's hard to grow in such an environment. Your peers clearly aren't as good as you and it's hard to communicate with them about some things because they're just not on your level (and they just don't get it) and the teachers give lots of odd praise because they have to grade you on the same scale as everyone else. However, their praise always feels empty. They brush over the flaws in your work given that everyone else is much worse. So to come to an environment where others (including your peers finally!) see the flaws that you see in your own work and are willing to discuss with you how you can fix them to help you improve at what you love--I feel that that can be liberating and create a sense of community as opposed to the alien feeling that being a big fish in a small pond creates. So even though Dean is rude, I can imagine Evie being drawn to him because he gets it and he pushes her to become better. It's not that he doesn't like her work. He just sees that she's human and doesn't treat her as a talent robot. I hope this makes some sense.

She was a really sweet, quiet kid, but to her detriment as she's only beginning to question her upbringing now. Hmm that is interesting and I never thought about it like that! I wonder would her criticism of sexism within the family be better directed at one of the various lazy men instead.

I didn't really see her criticism of sexism as a criticism of sexism but as a quarrel with her mother. Her mother is also a victim, and despite her mother’s callous words, Marian seems to have done the most for Evie/cares for Evie the most and is the least able to fight back? If Evie wants to stand up and not just be mad at her mother, I feel like she would speak to her alcoholic father or even her uncle. Or if that's too much, she could simply ask her cousins to help earlier instead. She's supposedly close with Decky.