This passage is the reader’s introduction to Billie Jo, provided by Billie Jo herself. Billie Jo describes herself in a manner that implies she is unimpressed by her looks, though she seems to accept herself for who she is. Notably, the name Billie Jo is traditionally considered unisex, which matches Billie Jo’s father’s desire for a son. Throughout the novel, Billie Jo feels tension between herself and her father because she thinks she is not the child he wants. Even though Billie Jo likes herself and has crafted a unique identity, she has difficulty reconciling that identity with what she…