Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy

Negative actions made by adults were far more subtle yet still prevalent. Adults would stare at Lucy Grealy, realize they were being rude, and quickly look away. Most adults would pretend not to notice her at all, instead of doing the respectable thing and treating her in the same manner as they would treat anyone else. These actions are proven to be a result of her appearance by her experience on Halloween during her first year of Junior High. Grealy wears a mask as part of her costume that year and as a result, she is treated the same as anyone with a face without deformities. This reveals that her condition is the only barrier between her and a normal life.
             Lucy Grealy makes several attempts to appear as society would define normal. First, she is encouraged to buy a wig to hide her lack of hair due to chemotherapy. Society's definition of feminine beauty includes long hair, something Lucy Grealy does not have after her treatments. If physical beauty was not valued by society, there would be no need for a wig. As she matured, she would take advantage of every opportunity that would allow her to hide her face or bald scalp. Such opportunities include wearing Halloween masks, scarves, and hats. If society valued internal beauty, these actions would not be necessary, for she would be considered beautiful based on her character and not her outward appearance. In her teenage years, Lucy Grealy is admitted into the hospital for her first reconstructive surgery. Following this operation, several other surgeries that include flaps and bone grafting are carried out in order to make her jaw appear as whole once again. These surgeries are both painful and costly, implying that appearing as "pretty" is a priority to Lucy Grealy, for she is sacrificing copious amounts of money and physical health in order to be considered beautiful in the eyes of society. If society didn't place an emphasis on aesthetic beauty, Grealy would not feel pressured to take such monumental steps to change the way she looks.