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        The three details that I think are particularly effective in the memoir Finding My Cancer Style are the visible and invisible effects of Suleika Jaoaud’s disorder, the effect of the reactions of others when out in public, and the fact that cancer may not be a choice, but style is.

Visible effects would be those others can see such as, hair and weight loss. These effects are what caused Jaoaud to feel less like a woman and more like a mannequin. Invisible effects are those others cannot see such as, infertility or chronic mouth sores. These effects affected Jaoaud physically but not mentally because others could not see them; therefore, she had no reason to be ashamed of them. Jaoaud was well educated about the disorder; however, she could not avoid the embarrassment that arose from the way she looked after her chemotherapy (this was when she lost all of her hair).

When Jaoaud went out in public, she felt as if she had to hide under the ugly hats and scarves she bought to cover the baldness of her head. People would stare at her as she passed. She knew that majority of them were only starring out of curiosity, but it still made her feel embarrassed to be out in public because of the way she looked. Jaoaud was so embarrassed that she obtained a collection of hats and scarves to where when she wanted to go out. At one point, she completely stopped going out and looking in the mirror to avoid the starring of others and the admittance of how she looks without her hair.

Jaoaud learned how to avoid the stares and make the most of her situation by changing her style. She began to explore her options by choosing to change the way she looked. Her fist change was with her hair. She changed her hair by getting various haircuts and dyes such as a purple Mohawk. She also changed her hair by cutting one side of it until it was one inch short, carving a design into the inch long hair, and dying it blond. Jaoaud did not only change her hair, she changed the way she dressed. Her old clothes were too big for her because she lost a lot of weight, so she bought a different variety of clothes.

This changed her reaction to cancer as a whole because it allowed her to see the “brighter side” of the disorder. She may still be hurting physically because of the effects of the disorder; however, she is satisfied mentally because she has found away to change curious stares of others to fascinated stares of others.

I completely agree with your thoughts about the most important details within the memoir. I also included the detail about her changing her look because I felt like this is the center of the story. This is where she intended for the audience to gain an understanding of her reason for the writing the story, which, I believe, is to make the most of what you have. Jaoaud was so down about her lost because her hair, according to what I interpreted, was a very significant part of her life. Her hair is what allowed her to express who she truly is to herself and everyone else as well. I felt as if her hair tattoos allowed  her to explore a variety of ways of expressing herself because, afterwards, she did not have to avoid others as much as she did before she found a new style. Jaoaud made the most of her condition. She was able to effectively boost her confidence and self-esteem. I like how you described your three most important details with even more details. You included effective explanations that helped me to understand your point of view. Your response to the discussion was very effective to understanding the memoir.