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Katherine Ngo
Mrs. Belmonte
AP English Language and Composition 27 October 2!"
Autobiograph# o$ a %ace
B# Luc# &real#
!. 'Partl# ( )as honing m# sel$*conscious into a torture de+ice, sharp and e$$icient enough to last
me the rest o$ m# li$e. Partl# ( )as right- the# were staring at me, laughing at me. .he cruelt# o$
children is immense, almost startling in its precision... .he pain these children brought )ith their
stares engul$ e+er# other pain in m# li$e./ 071
.his passage sho)s ho) she )as 2udged based on her appearance. ( choose this passage
because ( $ound the author3s language to be appealing. &real# creates this appealing language
)ith the use o$ repetition. .he )ords that stand out are torture, sharp e$$icient, ')ere staring/,
laughing, and cruelt#. .hese )ords are speci$icall# used to sho) the intensit# that she )as
$eeling at that moment to )here she )as )or4ing at the 5iamond 5. 6he uses these )ords to
e7press that intensit#. Although her 2ob consisted o$ horses in )hich she lo+ed and cared $or, it
)as also a miserable place to )or4 at due to the cruel stares that she recei+ed on dut#. 6he )as
8uite a)are o$ these stares $rom o$$ the top o$ her head. .he# )ere gi+en b# children. 6he
mentions the grie$ that she $eels, and that it haunts her )ithin e+er# step she ta4es. .his cancer
)as the )hole change o$ her li$e.
2. 'Gull. Truck. Banana. Formula. And then, malignancy. ( can reconstruct no) that its
important s#llables probabl# charmed me, its promise o$ rare and dangerous implications made
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me $eel important, but its lac4 o$ meaning pro+ided me )ith 2ust enough echo to act as
bac4ground to m# shoc4 at hearing the )ord cancer./ 0991
( choose this passage because ( thought it consisted o$ care$ull# chosen )ords. 6he didn3t
reall# ta4e note o$ the meaning o$ those other )ords. 6he chooses )ords containing such
po)er$ul meaning, and connects it to the terri$#ing )ord itsel$, 'cancer/. &ull, being a bird, is
the +isual representation is )hat she had on her $ace. (t is being compared to the lump that
con8uered her 2a). .ruc4 resembles the )eight o$ her problem, and the )a# she )as buried
)ithin the cruelt# o$ her surroundings. Banana s#mboli:es her inner s)eet sel$, but the s4in o$
the banana, being the cancer, co+er that s)eetness. As a result, people onl# sa# ho) she loo4ed.
%ormula represents the comple7 treatments that she has recei+ed during chemotherap#, and
radiation. Malignanc# is the term best described ho) she $elt )ith societ#, and the condition o$
her bod#. (t all these )ords )ere to be added, the sum o$ it )ould e8ual up to cancer. .his
catches m# attention because these uni8ue )ords produce a )hole ne) understanding. .here$ore,
not all )ords ha+e such literal meaning, )hich allo)s one to ha+e di$$erent perspecti+es.
". '($ someho) she could con+ince me not to be a$raid, )e could rall# around the truism she had
gro)n up )ith- there )as nothing o$ $ear but $ear itsel$./ 07;1
.his passage creates a strong response as to e+er# time ( read this. .his portion o$ the
stor# )as mentioned )hen the author )anted to gi+e up, but her mother )as constantl# pushing
her, basicall# being her cheerleader. &real# chooses to place a +er# meaning$ul 8uote. .he 8uote
itsel$ at $irst glance might lac4 +alue because one might not understand it right a)a#. <o)e+er,
at a second glance, it pro+ides one o$ the man# importances o$ li$e. .hat there3s nothing to reall#
$ear, it is the thought o$ $ear that holds one bac4. .he ordering o$ her sentences ma4es a huge
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di$$erence. 6he purposel# inserts this 8uote at the end to create a lasting e$$ect, ma4ing it sound
beauti$ul )ith e+er# )ord being stated. .here$ore, this sentence is reall# )ell*cra$ted. .hat is
perhaps )h# &real# includes this, to moti+ate others )ho struggle )ith $ear in general, not 2ust
people )ith cancer.
9. '= but as soon as the silence )as bro4en, as soon as an#one entered the $ront door, tension
and shame accompanied them. >nable to locate m# unhappiness )ithin the di$$icult and comple7
$amil# relationships )e all shared, ( thought that it all originated )ith me, that ( )as someho) at
$ault. ($ ( couldn3t o+ercome m# gro)ing depression. ( deser+ed it, and ho) un$air o$ me to
in$lict it upon e+er#one else, upon m# mother especiall#./ 0?"1
( ha+e selected this passage because in a )a#, it reminds me m# e+er#da# situation ( li+e
in m#sel$. ( $eel that it reminds me o$ m# personal e7periences because most o$ the time ( thin4 (
ta4e responsibilit# $or the problems that supposedl# belongs to the people surrounding me. (
disli4e )ith all m# heart that people are miserable, and that ( can3t do an#thing about it. .he onl#
thing ( could do is )atch them su$$er. As $or the author, this portion represents her e+er#da#
$eeling* that she is to blame $or her )hole $amil#3s con$licts, that it3s her $ault $or ha+ing cancer,
that it3s her $ault $or raising the medical bills. 6he carries this hea+# burden, in )hich produces a
melanchol# tone. 6he creates an emphasis on )ords such as tension, and shame. 6he has gi+en
them a humanistic trait, adding a dramatic illusion to as )h# and ho) she is to be blames. @hen
da#s end meet, her $amil#3s struggle is the source o$ her ha+ing cancer. &real#3s purpose )as to
sho) that she )as at $ault, although ( belie+e other)ise. 6he didn3t ha+e the choice to ha+e
cancer.
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A. '.he# pointed openl# and laughed, calling out loudl# enough $or me to hear, 'What on earth is
that? ' That is the ugliest girl ( ha+e ever seen./ ( 4ne) in m# heart that their comments had
nothing to do )ith me, that it )as all about them appearing tough and cool to their $riends. 0!29*
!2A1
( choose this passage because it e7presses her struggle o$ ha+ing o$ ha+ing E)ing3s
6arcoma cancer. &real#3s purpose )as to sho) ho) not onl# she had to deal )ith her appearance
and cancer itsel$, but as to all the taunting she recei+ed in school b# immature bo#s. 6he includes
this to pro+e to her audience that she )as able to o+ercome all o$ this, )hich it onl# made her
stronger as a person. .his passage re+eals the author3s strength, and great mentalit#. &real#
includes the e7act 8uotes $rom the immature group o$ bo#s. 6he emphasi:es on the )ord 'that/
to sho) that the# didn3t consider her as a human being, rather a creature $rom another planet.
6he told hersel$ that the# onl# teased her to onl# ascend their reputations. .he $act that she used
e+er# ounce o$ courage not to retort bac4, ma4es her be#ond human, it ma4es her superior,
considering that she had to deal )ith all o$ this. ( can sa# ( am both intrigued, and impressed b#
these heroic actions.
B. 'No one on the streets, bending their heads do)n in to the cold )ind, seemed to notice or care
that this da# )as di$$erent $rom others./ 0!"?1
.his passage made an appearance as o$ )hen it )as her last da# o$ chemotherap#. (t )as
a di$$erent da# because she had this $ear e+er# time she )ent to the hospital. A $ear )hich
resulted in to tears. (t )as a di$$erent da#, but not man# people ta4e note o$ that. ( choose this
8uote because o$ its sentimental +alue. @hat societ# sometimes $ails to reali:e is that this thing
)e li+e in called 'li$e/ is short. .hat e+er# da#, in one )a# or another, )e are $illed )ith
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di$$erent choices and those choices a$$ect our e+er# da# outcomes. .hat e+er# da# is a di$$erent
da#, and that not e+er#bod# reali:es that. ( can de$initel# sa# that this allo)ed me to e7pand m#
thin4ing. As $or cancer patients, a da# means e+er#thing. .hat is possibl# the purpose &real#
)as reaching $or. .he author builds up this sentence structure b# including an image that one can
picture on a dail# basis.
7./(t ga+e me pleasure to thin4 that the bo#s )ho teased me openl# at school and the adults )ho
stared at me co+ertl# else)here )ould ne+er be able to stand this pain, that the# )ould crumple.
M# )hole bod# )as tense and stomach upside, but ( )as con+inced that because ( did not admit
these things, did not displa# them $or others to see, it meant ( had a chance at reall# being bra+e,
not 2ust pretending./ 0!9"1
.his passage grabs m# attention because it e7poses &real#3s strength in another degree. (t
2ust pro+es that she is stronger than )hat people percei+e her to be. .he $act that she deals )ith
them, 4no)ing that the# )ouldn3t be able to )al4 in her shoes, ma4es her gain e+en more
strength. .he author incorporates this )ith the group o$ people she included in this passage.
Bo#s and adults are 4no)n $or their superiorit#. 6he compares them b# sa#ing that the#3re )ea4
i$ the e+er choose to be in her position. ($ an# o$ these people underestimate her, the# )ill be
onl# pro+en )rong, because e+er#bod# has this uni8ue po)er )ithin, and she has hers. (n
addition, she builds a list o$ actions she didn3t do to build stair)a#s to her main point, that she
has a bigger opportunit# to sho) her bra+er#.
;. 'But ( didn3t loo4 li4e me. 6omething )as )rong- )as this the $ace ( had )aited $or through
eighteen #ears and almost thirt# operationsC ( couldn3t ma4e )hat ( sa) in the mirror correspond
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to the person ( thought ( )as. (t )asn3t onl# that ( continue to $eel ugl#D ( simpl# could not
concei+e o$ the image as belonging to me. ( had 4no)n this $eeling be$ore, but that had been
)hen m# $ace )as 'un$inished/=/ 02!?*221
( belie+e that this passage is the highest point in the boo4, and it is the core to her
$eelings. E+er#thing that she e7perienced through did not reach up to her standards. (t is di$$icult
to stare at her re$lection because she does not accept this person she stares at. 6he under)ent
surger# and still $eels li4e the same person that she $elt li4e be$ore. .he operations )eren3t )hat
she had been longing $or. 6he creates emphasis on )ords such as 'this/ and 'un$inished/. 6he
italici:es these )ords to re+eal great dissatis$action that the torturous hours o$ her surger# onl#
ended up )ith disappoint. ( disco+er this to be 8uite unpredictable. >suall# )hen one gets
surgical procedures done, the# are satis$ied )ith the results, possibl# raising their sel$*esteem.
On the contrar#, she $eels as i$ she is the same person )ho )or4ed at pon# parties. O+erall, this
is signi$icant because the outcome contains a t)ist, rather than ha+ing a t#pical $ace she +ie)s
amongst societ#, she sees her o)n, and is still dissatis$ied.
?. .he Euote o$ the Boo4- '6ociet# is no help. (t tells us again and again that )e can most be
oursel+es b# acting and loo4ing li4e someone else, onl# to lea+e out original $aces behind to turn
into ghosts that )ill ine+itabl# resent and haunt us./ 02221
( thought this passage )as the per$ect 8uote $or this boo4. .he purpose o$ the o+erall
boo4 )as the attempt o$ accepting her $ace, and #et societ#, )hich )as onl# a struggle. 6he, in
the end, onl# learned that the reliance on societ# didn3t bene$it her in an#)a#. Father than
allo)ing her to be pleased )ith her li$e, it onl# accumulated more pain, and miser# upon her.
People tend to lea+e the past behind, but it onl# ends up haunting them. Based on her
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e7periences, she is able to pro+e this statement to be correct, and is able to allo) people to see
$rom her +ie) o$ li$e. .here$ore this 8uote corresponds )ith the o+erall message o$ the boo4.
!. Fe$lecti+e Letter
.his independent reading pro2ect allo)ed me to practice m# reading s4ills. Latel#, (
ha+en3t been able to much reading done, but this pro2ect $orced to ma4e room $or independent
reading. (t )ill help me +er# much in the $uture. Not onl# did it help me )ith m# reading
comprehension, but as )ell as anal#:ing the te7t. ( $eel sometimes ( ha+e troubling anal#:ing the
te7t sometimes, and )hich sections to anal#:e. ( am o+er)helmed )ith 8uotes, and ( am
sometimes indecisi+e in the 8uotes ( )ant $eel that ( should anal#:e. ( ha+e learned that ( should
anal#:e the 8uote that has a signi$icant meaning to me, and pro+e to those )ho might not
understand )h# theses 8uotes are signi$icant. ( )as able to get that opportunit# b# doing this
pro2ect.