The Ugly Sister in Shine Your Icy Crown: Character Analysis

Overview

The ugly sister is a self-critical inner voice that the speaker adopts when she feels inferior. She appears explicitly in chapter 8, where the speaker, alone in her bedroom, declares she will never be as beautiful, thin, kind, beloved, or deserving as “her,” and signs the declaration “the ugly sister.” This self-imposed label captures the speaker’s internalized belief that she is second-best. The ugly sister is not a separate character but a voice within the speaker, representing self-doubt and comparison. Throughout the collection, this voice is countered by the “big sister” figure, who offers reassurance and encouragement. The ugly sister’s presence is central to the book’s exploration of self-worth and the journey toward self-sovereignty, a theme explored in self-sovereignty and self-definition.

Plot Role

The ugly sister functions as the antagonist within the speaker’s mind. She is the internal critic that the speaker must overcome to achieve self-acceptance. The book’s narrative arc follows the speaker from self-criticism to empowerment, and the ugly sister is the primary obstacle. She appears in moments of vulnerability: after the brother incident in chapter 7, after being told she’d be prettier under certain conditions, and when she feels like a wallflower in chapter 9. The big sister’s advice directly addresses the ugly sister’s claims, offering a counter-narrative that encourages the speaker to see her own worth. The ugly sister’s role is thus to embody the negative messages the speaker has internalized from family, society, and fairy-tale conventions, making her a key figure in the book’s critique of patriarchal expectations, as discussed in subverting fairy-tale conventions and patriarchal expectations.

Motivations and Traits

The ugly sister is motivated by a fear of rejection and a belief that she is inherently less than others. She compares herself unfavorably to a beautiful sister, as seen in the declarations in chapter 8. Her traits include:

• Self-deprecation: She repeatedly tells herself she will never measure up.

• Insecurity: She feels like a joke after a boy asks her out only for a laugh, and she begins to see herself that way.

• Quietness: She stays in corners, feels she has nothing worthwhile to say, and is often talked over.

• Avoidance: She imagines relationships with strangers in coffee shops to avoid real rejection.

• Distrust: She learns that people spill secrets in front of her because they assume she is invisible, teaching her that no one can be trusted.

These traits are shown through actions: she remains silent, avoids speaking up, and retreats into fantasy. The big sister’s advice in chapter 9 directly counters these behaviors, urging her not to shrink or undervalue herself.

Chronological Arc

The ugly sister’s presence can be traced through the book’s progression. In chapter 7, the speaker experiences injustice when her brother is believed over her after he pulls her braids, and she is told she’d be prettier if she changed certain things. These experiences feed her insecurity. In chapter 8, she explicitly declares herself the ugly sister, listing the ways she falls short. In chapter 9, she continues to feel like a wallflower, imagines relationships to avoid hurt, and questions why no one wants her. By chapter 12, the speaker begins to reclaim her power: she refuses to be defined solely by her relationships to others, and the princess in the fairy-tale frame crafts her own icy crown, symbolizing self-made worth. The ugly sister’s voice likely diminishes as the speaker gains confidence, culminating in the book’s final lines, “our icy crown is you,” which suggest a collective self-acceptance. This arc aligns with the theme of healing from trauma and mental illness.

Relationships

The ugly sister is defined in relation to the “beautiful sister”—the “her” she compares herself to. This could be a literal sister or a symbolic ideal of beauty and worth. The big sister figure is the counter-voice, offering love and reassurance. In chapter 8, the big sister says, “even if you aren’t their favorite, you’re always someone’s favorite. (you’re mine.)” This directly challenges the ugly sister’s belief that she is unlovable. The speaker’s family relationships are also relevant: parents who played favorites, as noted in chapter 8, and a brother who gets away with harmful behavior, as in chapter 7. The ugly sister’s relationships with peers are marked by rejection and being overlooked, such as the boy who asks her out as a joke and the people who talk over her. These relationships reinforce her sense of being second-best, but the big sister’s presence offers an alternative model of sisterhood, as explored in sisterhood as a source of strength and healing.

Key Decisions and Consequences

The ugly sister’s decisions are internal: she decides to believe she is not good enough, to stay silent, and to avoid real relationships. The consequences include loneliness, missed opportunities, and a distorted self-image. For example, her habit of imagining relationships with strangers prevents her from experiencing genuine connection, but it also protects her from rejection. However, the speaker eventually decides to reject this voice. In chapter 12, she declares she refuses to be only someone else’s daughter, sister, girlfriend, wife, or mother, and the princess crafts her own crown. This decision leads to self-acceptance and empowerment. The consequence of rejecting the ugly sister is a reclaimed sense of agency, symbolized by the icy crown. This turning point is central to the book’s ending explained.

Theme and Symbol Connections

The ugly sister connects to several key themes:

• Self-sovereignty and self-definition: The ugly sister represents the internalized messages that tell women they are not enough. Overcoming her is essential to claiming one’s own identity.

• Sisterhood: The big sister’s love counters the ugly sister’s self-hatred, showing that supportive relationships can heal.

• Reclaiming and redefining language: The speaker eventually rejects the “ugly sister” label, redefining herself on her own terms.

• Healing from trauma: The ugly sister’s voice is a symptom of past wounds, such as family favoritism and bullying.

• Subverting fairy-tale conventions: The princess who marries herself and crafts her own crown challenges the traditional fairy-tale narrative where a prince defines a woman’s worth.

The icy crown itself is a powerful symbol: it is self-made, sharp, and beautiful, contrasting with the ugly sister’s lack of self-worth. The crown represents the speaker’s ability to define her own value, a theme explored in reclaiming and redefining language.

Book-Specific Questions and Answers

1. What does the ugly sister declare in chapter 8?

She declares she will never be as beautiful, thin, kind, beloved, or deserving as “her,” and signs the declaration “the ugly sister.”

1. How does the big sister respond to the ugly sister’s self-criticism?

The big sister says that even if you aren’t your family’s favorite, you are always someone’s favorite, specifically “you’re mine.”

1. What incident from chapter 7 contributes to the ugly sister’s feelings?

The speaker reports her brother for pulling her braids, but the adults believe him and check on him instead, telling her they don’t believe he would do such a thing.

1. What does the ugly sister do in coffee shops?

She imagines relationships with complete strangers—sipping hot chocolate, making snow angels, stealing sweaters—because it is easier than risking real rejection.

1. What does the speaker eventually realize about herself?

She realizes she is the strong woman protagonist and takes the pen back to weave her own story, as stated in chapter 12.

For further discussion, see the questions and answers page.