Truth & Beauty: A Friendship

Note: It's been some time since I finished the book, so I'm having some difficulty remembering it.

In Truth & Beauty, Ann Patchett described the unbreakable camaraderie between her and her best friend, Lucy Grealy -- from start to the bitter end. Reading a first-hand account of their bond gave me new perspective on friendship; I found it remarkable how friends can become true soulmates (without being in an actual relationship). I was able to relate extremely well to this book because the relationship between Ann and Lucy is very similar to friendships I've had in the past.

It was strange to see how Ann and Lucy's relationship changed throughout the book. Their paths first crossed when they went to school together at Sarah Lawrence College. Lucy was diagnosed with cancer as a young girl. The chemotherapy that was used to treat her ended up removing part of her jaw. Even after scores of reconstructive surgeries, part of her jaw was still missing. Essentially, it was her disfigured face that made her so famous in her town. It wasn't until they attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop that Ann and Lucy became close friends. Their companionship thrived on both their love for their writing and their love for eachother.

When I first began the book, I was under the impression that Ann was trying to make the reader feel sympathetic toward her, making her seem like the hardworking, practical one of the pair. Lucy was the outgoing one, always in the limelight, where Ann was more of a secondary character. Patchett seemed all too bitter to be the one in the shadows. While I continued with the book, I came to realize that while this was true for the most part, it wasn't a bad thing. Ann and Lucy truly completed eachother, which is what made their friendship really work. I guess that's what made them soulmates.

Years after, Lucy passed away when a heroin addiction overtook her life. It's quite apparent that losing someone who had been a head figure in your life wouldn't be an easy experience. Even though she is gone, Lucy's friendship with Ann still carries on. She's given Ann enough inspiration to last for the rest of her life. Soulmates don't die.

The Prevailing Opinion of a Sexual Character Discussed

If I could use any one word to describe how I felt after reading this essay, it would be grateful. Well, I suppose confused would be another appropriate adjective. Actually, there are any number of words I could use to describe how I felt. Bored, surprisingly, was not one of them.

I have been dreading reading this essay since the day I printed it off. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I had a large enough attention span to successfully read through all twenty-some pages, especially after I had realized that the passage wasn't written in a language that I fully understood. What I mean by this is that the way Wollstonecraft writes is much different than the way today's authors write. Her vocabulary is quite advanced and the way she strings her words together is in a completely different style. In my opinion, it probably wouldn't have taken her 22 pages to get her point across. The piece was wordy and repetitive, but maybe that's how people wrote back then. I had to reread some of the paragraphs multiple times in order to fully understand the point she was trying to get across. On top of that, I had to look up countless words. The passage was an absolute beast to read, to say the least.

While the piece was so long-winded, I can't say I didn't enjoy it. I was surprised at how poorly women during that era were treated. It makes me truly thankful to know how far women have come in the past few hundred years. Whilst reading it, I was overcome with feelings of genuine girl power. Mary was so convincing and strong with her points. If I were from her day in age, I'm not sure I would have the courage to be so assertive about women's suffrage (although I know for a fact I wouldn't be content with my position in society as a woman). Even though I would be lying if I said sexism isn't an issue in the present day, I can say with confidence that if Wollstonecraft could see what life is like for women today, she would be so very proud. Had a man from that day read the essay, he might have rolled his eyes in disgust. If a woman had read it, however, it may have opened her eyes up to the essential standard that was missing in her life: equality. It was determined women like Mary who carved the path for women's rights. Without them, we would still be living in a one-sided society where boys rule and girls..well, you get the picture. . .

You go girl.