10 Questions
What did the narrator want the photographer to do?
Take their photograph
How did the photographer appear physically?
Drooping man in a gray suit
What did the narrator realize after waiting for an hour?
They had done an unwarrantable thing in breaking in on the privacy of the photographer's scientific pursuits with their face.
What did the photographer say about the face of the narrator?
The face is quite wrong
What did the photographer suggest should be done to the face?
Twist it sideways
How did the narrator respond to the photographer's comment on their face?
I have always known it
What did the photographer ask the protagonist to do with their mouth?
Open it a little, then close it quickly
What did the photographer instruct about the ears?
Droop them a little more
What did the photographer ask the protagonist to do with their eyes?
Roll them in under the lids
How did the protagonist express their attachment to their face?
This face is my face. It is not yours, it is mine. I've lived with it for forty years and I know its faults.
Study Notes
The Photographer's Studio
- The narrator visits a photographer's studio to have their photograph taken.
- The photographer is described as a drooping man in a gray suit, with a dim eye, reminiscent of a natural scientist.
The Waiting Room
- The narrator is asked to wait for an hour and reads old magazines, including the Ladies Companion for 1912, the Girls Magazine for 1902, and the Infants Journal for 1888.
The Photo Shoot
- The photographer instructs the narrator to sit down in a beam of sunlight filtered through a sheet of factory cotton hung against a frosted skylight.
- The photographer uses a machine to take the photo, crawling in and out of it, and adjusting the lighting and the narrator's pose.
The Critique
- The photographer is critical of the narrator's face, stating it is "quite wrong" and needs to be photographed three-quarters full.
- The narrator tries to engage in conversation, but the photographer is focused on adjusting the pose and expression.
- The photographer makes multiple adjustments to the narrator's face, asking them to open their mouth, roll their eyes, and position their hands and body.
The Confrontation
- The narrator becomes emotional and defensive, stating that the face is theirs, and they know its faults and have learned to love it.
- The photographer takes the photo, seemingly catching the narrator off guard.
The Aftermath
- The photographer tells the narrator that they will need to develop the negative and invites them to return on Saturday to see a proof of the photo.
- On Saturday, the narrator returns to the studio, where the photographer seems quieter and graver than before.
Test your comprehension of a story involving a reluctant photographer and an impatient customer. Explore themes of patience and privacy through this narrative.
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