PHONIEX

Through my story Phoenix, I wanted to show the pressures in society to have a certain body. I wanted the reader to be able to learn that the pressures in society to look a certain way influences us to hate our bodies because we are taught there is only one "pretty" body; however, we are all beautiful regardless of how society views us. I used the main character Rayne to help convey this message. Due to the scar on Rayne's face she begins to believe that she isn't beautiful and deserves abuse because of her mistake because that is what society told her. The bullying Rayne endures represents the pressure she receives to look a certain way. At this point I wanted the reader to understand Rayne's struggles, and maybe even identify with them. Then I introduce Mateo into the story. Mateo is this new kid who has no idea who Rayne is, or about the accident. I used Mateo's ignorance about the situation to help show that even if you have a body that isn't deemed "good enough" by society, there will always be at least one person who accepts you. This idea is further stretched when Mateo finds out about the incident and still accepts her. Through Mateo, Rayne is finally able to feel like she belongs somewhere, and she starts to learn that it is possible to be loved even though she doesn't like the way she looks, which is shown more when Mateo stands up for her.