Summaries

Summary #1

True Identity

In the essay “Girl”, by Alexander Chee, he describes how wearing a “mask” helped him find his true identity. Chee struggled to find who he truly was growing up due to his sexuality and being bi-racial. Growing up he felt as though he didn't have a place in society, like he wasn't good enough for either the white or Asian half of himself. Chee explains how he has always had a fascination with makeup since he was little. He says how he would watch his mother do her makeup and  “go into her bathroom and try on her makeup” behind her back. Later in Chee’s life, he did his makeup and hair to look like a girl. It was at this moment he felt truly beautiful and happy. Chee felt like he didn't have to worry about his race or sexuality when he looked like a girl. His makeup was his mask and it made him feel good about himself because he was unburdened by the confusion he lived with all his life. He portrays how he felt as a dream of his, he says it was like a scene from a movie that he never thought he would be in. By dressing up Chee found who he truly was and what made him happy. His “mask” helped him find his true identity after a life full of unsureness about who he was. Chee’s story shows that a mask can reveal someone's true identity rather than conceal it and it is important to remember that other's expectations do not define who you are. 

Summary #2

Do What Makes You Happy

In her essay “The Day I Ate Everything I Wanted,” Elizabeth Burg writes about how self-image influences her life. Starting her essay, Burg explains that when society envisions overweight people all they see is low self-esteem, unhealthy eating habits, and time spent on the couch. Burg then goes to her Weight Watchers meeting and is frustrated with the women she sees there because she does not think they are overweight. After seeing the woman Burg decides she will eat anything she wants for the rest of the day. She continues to eat junk food all day while reflecting on the struggles she has lived through as someone who is overweight. Burg goes into detail about where to find all the good food places and where to avoid the bad. She then feels a sense of shame but continues to eat because she feels like she is standing up for people who also feel bad about their eating habits. After Burg's day of eating, she decided to break her scale with a wooden mallet and went to her next meeting. At this meeting, she saw that she had gained 4 pounds after stepping on the scale and went home to eat a healthy dinner. Finally, Burg talks about her father and his experiences with being overweight as well. Growing up she watched people's words hurt her father's feelings even when he tried to mask the pain. She also says that she used to eat candy she hid in her mattress when she went to bed as a kid. Burg would want the audience to feel like they are good enough as they are and they should do what makes them happy.

Summary #3

The Princess’s Story

In the story “The Princess and the Zucchini,” Audrey Thomas maintains that the audience should live life how they want, not how others expect them to. Thomas writes a unique story that portrays the belief that the decisions we make in life are up to us, not anyone else. First, the main character, Princess Zona, comes across a cursed zucchini and needs the princess to kiss it to live happily. For example, the zucchini claims that once the princess kisses him they will live happily ever after. Next, Zona decides that she is not going to kiss the zucchini and instead wants to learn more about who she is. Zona is referred to as beautiful by her mother, father, and the zucchini but wonders who she is beyond that. For instance, Zona asks herself who the “I” is that is considered so beautiful. Then, Zona cooked dinner for her family, which was out of the ordinary for a princess to do, the main ingredient was zucchini. Princess Zona ultimately chose to do what she wanted instead of following the typical path and living happily ever after with the prince. Thomas’s twist on a traditional story shows us that we all have the power to write our own stories and should not feel confined by other's expectations.