Autobiography Of A Face by Lucy Grealy

Summary:

It describes her childhood struggles with jaw cancer and the resulting disfigurement that she considers the true tragedy of her life. With the exception of the prologue, the memoir employs a linear narrative, detailing Grealy’s life from early childhood into adulthood.

The prologue begins several years after Grealy’s cancer treatment, with an account of an adolescent Grealy helping a local stable with a ‘pony party’ in a nearby suburb. As she works the party, we see how acutely aware Grealy is of the partygoers curious and disturbed gazes at her disfigured jaw, which she attempts to hide behind her long hair. Even from the brief anecdote, we can see clearly how ashamed Grealy is at her own disfigurement.

The memoir then moves back in time to Grealy’s early childhood and the accident that led to the discovery of her cancer. Fourth-grade Lucy sustains a minor injury while playing dodgeball in school. This injury leads her to the dentist who is the first to realize something more may be wrong. After a series of doctors visits and misdiagnoses, she is diagnosed with Ewings sarcoma, a deadly form of cancer. With only a 5% survival rate, Lucy begins the first in a series of surgeries and radiation therapies to try and save her life.

These surgeries, while successful in treating her cancer, involve removing part of her jaw, and leave her with a disfigured face. She is unable to go out in public without enduring the cruel taunts of other children and the stares of complete strangers. She undergoes plastic surgery to fix the disfigurement but it is largely unsuccessful. Lucy seems unaware of the danger she is in at first, but after two years of treatments and several unsuccessful plastic surgeries, she comes to terms with the full weight of her diagnoses. Along with this realization, she gains enough self-consciousness to realize that other people find her ugly. This truth dawns on her with a slow shock and she begins to avoid seeing her reflection in the mirror, going out in public, or doing anything that reminds her of her own disfigurement.

During this period, Lucy must also face the fallout from her diagnosis within her own family. In particular, Lucy’s mother struggles to deal with these events and handles them the only way she knows how. She pushes her daughter to remain strong and stoic. Although this seems like the best choice at the time, it disables Lucy from addressing her own emotions. She worries about disappointing her mother every time she cries or expresses her fear.

When she returns to school, Lucy must deal with the aftermath of her treatments. She is tormented for her appearance, so she withdraws from socializing, convincing herself that she doesn’t need anyone else. As she finishes school and enters adulthood, she admits to herself that she kept waiting for her life to start, believing that it couldn’t until her face was fixed.

She finishes high school and attends Sarah Lawrence college where she studies poetry. There, she begins to develop an identity again and develops strong, fulfilling friendships. However, she still finds herself missing the deep connection of a romantic relationship, believing herself too ugly to ever be loved that way.

As Grealy progresses into adulthood, she develops a stronger sense of identity, has a successful career as a writer and poet, and even has multiple romantic relationships. Despite this success, however, she remains deeply insecure. Obsessed with her face, Lucy believes that fixing her disfigurement will fix all of her other problems as well. She undergoes multiple dangerous, expensive, and largely unsuccessful surgeries in an attempt to do this. When they fail, we become depressed and withdraws from relationships.

By the memoirs end, Grealy is still insecure and struggling, but she seems to have found some peace with her own appearance and identity. She resolves to stop waiting to for physical beauty to make her lovable and important and instead become ‘acquainted’ with her own face, her own identity. In this small revelation, she begins to once again feel whole.

Why I Chose This Text:

I chose this text because I believe childhood disease and its impact on the child's life is an extremely important aspect that deserves to be covered. There weren't many books I encountered growing up that tackled this issue. I independently read this book in high school and wished everyone got a chance to. Up until John Green's "The Fault In Our Stars" came out I feel as if childhood disease being discussed was almost ignored in a sense. I also discussed this with my colleagues and they also did not encounter many books that deal with this specific issue. 

I would teach this text to High School Level students. I think sixteen and older would be appropriate. I believe this age group would be able to sympathize and find the importance of why I chose to teach this novel. I also believe High School is where a lot of students get lost in their self-identity and self-esteem so, it could have some students relate their own issues to hers. 

Teaching Ideas:

I have developed a few themes and support from the book on these themes that I would use in a lesson plan for this novel.I found these themes different from eah other but, still highl relatbale to each aspect this books presents to us. 

The Intricate Relationship between Attractiveness and Self Esteem

As Lucy narrates her conflict with pain, anxiety, and depression, she realizes that more than her illness, it is her looks that weakens her self-confidence. She considers 'feeling ugly' as the 'great tragedy of life.' The ailment itself seems trivial in comparison. The emotional turmoil of life with a disfigured face exceeds the trials of suffering and hospitalization. She wishes that people would not stare at her face and yet, she longs for people to see her without shame or revulsion. She finds it hard to cope with a world that equates value and beauty. She laments over the bitter truth that how we feel about ourselves is interlaced with the way we look. Unfortunately, we allow other people’s perceptions to estimate our self-worth.

The Penalties of a Childhood Sickness

At nine years of age, Lucy loses half her jaw to Ewing's sarcoma. In the early stages of the disease and treatment, she does not understand the implication or the allegations of her condition. After more than two years of surgeries, radiation treatment and intensive chemotherapy, she realizes the catastrophic impact of the illness and disfigurement. She undergoes a series of reconstructive surgeries. Unfortunately, the skin grafts fail and leave her face permanently disfigured. As she endures the consequences of malignancy since childhood, she cannot imagine a life 'outside the jurisdiction of cancer.'

The Pursuit of Individuality

Lucy realizes the uselessness of looking into the mirror. She decides to redefine society's insight of attractiveness and cheerfulness. She rebuilds her life with a extraordinary combination of stoicism, wit, and dignity. Her literary prowess enables her to define her identity. The importance of her appearance fades, and the memoir transcends the narrative of disfigurement and cultural oppression to become a story of determination and self-acceptance.

Challenges:

Cancer can be a sensitive topic to some families. Another sensisitve topic can be the bullying and harassment she goes through, some parents might have children who have gone through this so they dont want their kids to read about it happening. 

Another challenge can be the section where she uses her body to get guys to notice her, thats something I believe parents can bring to my attention.