Lucy Grealy's Mirrors

“On one level I understood that the image of my face was merely that, an image, a surface that was not directly related to any true, deep definition of the self.” (Grealy 43). In Lucy Grealy’s “Mirrors”, Grealy makes the vital point that people should not make judgements based on the physical appearance of others, and that there is more to someone’s essence than the way people view them. After reading an excerpt from graphic novel, “Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood” by Marjane Satrapi; you can interpret that Satrapi would agree with Grealy’s point, but also have difficulty relating to her mindset, and experiences. Grealy and Satrapi grew up in very different environments, which makes you think that it would be hard for them to relate to each other. Even with their differences, you can find ways

to connect the two characters by reading their opinions about physical appearance, and the way they react to judgement. Satrapi and Grealy both started to deal with problems involving physical image when they were kids.

They felt uncomfortable in their skin. That is one of the ways they can relate with each other. Throughout their times of struggle they were able to cope with the difficult world around them, and find happiness in the end. They also thought about things that really mattered in the world, like treating people equally. Despite the similarities between Grealy and Satrapi, there are some differences that distinguish them. Satrapi attempted to be as positive as possible when dealing with her issues, while Grealy would think negatively about herself, and what she imagined people thought of her. Grealy would find ways to hide her face as much as possible. That could be understandable considering how hard Grealy’s jaw defect was to hide. Satrapi, on the other hand would be excited to take off her veil, and be exposed to the world. The fact that one was dealing with a medical issue, and the other was a religious issue would be the biggest difference between the two. There are many examples in both texts to relate the two authors, while finding major differences in their

lifestyles.
Grealy and Satrapi, both had difficult situations to deal with when they were young. At a young age, Grealy began to develop cancer of the jaw, which led to her having numerous surgeries performed. That caused her jaw to look deformed, and triggered the start of the hell Grealy had to endure for the following years. “People stared at me in stores, other children constantly made fun of me to the point where I came to expect it constantly, wherever I went. School became a battleground, and I came home at the end of each day exhausted with the effort of keeping my body so tense and hard that I was sure anything would bounce off of it.” (36). Clearly, Grealy was not comfortable with herself, because of the torment she received. She was humiliated her whole life by people. Satrapi did not have to deal with anything that severe, but instead was forced to wear a veil. Satrapi’s story begins when she is 10 years old in school. It was the year 1980, and their leader decided that it was obligatory for all women to wear the veil. “We didn’t really like to wear the veil, especially since we didn’t understand why we had to.” (Comley, Hamilton and Klaus 185). She felt uncomfortable having to wear it, and would rather have the freedom to be an individual, rather than to look exactly like the rest of the women. What related them in this example was their common discomfort in each woman’s image.
“I felt I was the only one walking about in the world who understood what was really important.” (37). Grealy experienced enough pain and suffering to make her realize what is really important in the world. She knew that people could not see what actually mattered in the world, and it gave her a sense of empowerment over them. You can see how Satrapi relates to this in the following example, “I wanted to be a prophet, because our maid did not eat with us. Because my father drove a Cadillac. And, above all, because my grandmother’s knees always ached.” (188). Satrapi wants to make everybody happy, and make the world a better place. Her and Grealy view the world from a deeper perspective than most people do. They are both genuine people who have a healthier outlook on what life is really about.
“I was living in an extreme situation, and because I did not particularly care for the world I was in, I lived in others, and because the world I did live in was a dangerous one, I incorporated this danger into my own private life.” (36). Grealy states this, because she started to imagine herself walking through war areas, and jungles. She would do this as she walked down the street, to avoid the people that stared and insulted her. Satrapi said that in school, she would tell her class that she was going to be a prophet, and she would be laughed at for being a girl. At night she would have talks with God, discussing what she has to do to become a prophet, and her duties if she becomes one. Basically, both characters used their imagination as an escape method for the torment they received at school. With these arguments, you can see the similarities shared between Grealy and Satrapi, along with reasons why Satrapi can relate to Grealy’s point in her text.
Grealy’s physical flaw was her jaw defect, which is difficult to remove. Satrapi’s physical feature that she doesn’t want is her veil. It is hard for Satrapi to understand what Grealy went through, because she could remove her veil from her head at any time. Grealy’s flaw was a medical condition, while Satrapi’s is a religious law. It’s difficult to relate their flaws to each other, when they are that different.
Another argument you can make would be the fact that Grealy tried to cover her face as much as possible, while Satrapi was fighting for the opposite. “As a child, Halloween was my favorite holiday because I could put on a mask and walk among the blessed for a few brief, sweet hours.” (39). Her favorite holiday is Halloween, only because she gets to cover her face with a mask. She once went over a year without looking in the mirror, just so she would not have to see herself. Satrapi cannot relate to this at all, because she wants to be able to take her veil off whenever she wants. It’s ironic how these two women could have so many differences, while finding similarities to relate their texts.
Grealy’s point was that people should not make judgements based on the physical appearance of others. Many arguments were used to support Satrapi’s agreements, and disagreements with Grealy’s point, while developing a relationship between the two texts. The opening argument to show Satrapi’s agreement with Grealy, was that they both experienced discomfort in their childhoods because of their physical appearance. Other supporting arguments were that both authors looked at the world from a deeper aspect, compared to the shallower one viewed by most people, and that both authors were able to find ways to cope with their situations. The biggest argument to support Satrapi’s disagreement opinion, was how Grealy went through her life with low confidence, while Satrapi was always confident and positive. Another supporting point was that it was hard to Satrapi to understand the severity of Grealy’s flaw, because it was permanent, and her veil was able to be removed. There were many examples used to support Satrapi’s decision to agree and disagree with Grealy’s essay, as well as numerous arguments to create a relationship between the two essays.