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Sample 1
Student Sample
Eudcation 102C: Methods of Teaching
English in Secondary School
University of California, Irvine
A Matter of Identity
I. What I Know, Assume, or Imagine
“Just relax and be yourself. Keep looking at the camera. When you are not talking to the
guest, you must be looking at the camera. You can look at the monitor and fix your make-up,
before you start, if you like. But, afterwards, you must address the camera. That’s your
audience.”
I stare at the camera. What a responsive audience! I reflect sarcastically to myself: but I
nod my head approvingly. The atmosphere is encouraging. I am supposed to interview a
Lebanese musician whom I greatly respect and whose work I enjoy. So, too, the director and the
cameraman are old friends of mine. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t seem like an audition at all. It’s
more like a rehearsal session.
I look at the monitor and my dark eyes, enhanced by the black Arabic eyeliner on them,
look back at me assuringly. My eyes have always given me confidence in my appearance. I run
my fingers through my hair, fluffing it over my ears. It looks great - soft, thick and healthy. My
hair has never failed me. Every hairdresser who has touched it has commented on its quality. My
mouth looks fine, although it feels heavier than usual with this much lipstick on. Ordinarily I lick
it off; I cannot do that now. I concentrate on my mouth for a couple of seconds. I’ve been told
“its too big,” especially when I laugh. But I don’t care. I have a beautiful set of teeth that
compensate for that.

Sample 2
Having given myself the “once-over,” I practice one of my best camera-ready smiles. As
my lips curve, the tip of Arabic nose dips down right into the middle of my smile. I knew it, I
mused to myself, constricting my smile. I knew my nose would get into it! I study my nose; it sits
there otherwise unobtrusively. But when I smile again, I can only watch as it dominates my face.
Feeling uneasy, I take the tip of my nose between my fingers and press it back and then up. I
peer askance at myself in the mirror, considering the adjustment, and reevaluate my smile, then
my head to check my profile. Of course it looks better . . . or maybe it doesn’t, I think
ambivalently. It’s as thought I’ve seen my nose for the very first time. Yet I cannot remember
ever not seeing it. I feel ridiculous because here I am manipulating it as if it were some newly
discovered piece of my anatomy- and a not very attractive one at that. Don’t make too much of it,
I tell myself.
Momentarily, I try to think of some of the positive remarks that people have made about
this nose of mine: “It is distinctive”; (so is a rhino’s horn), “It’s got character”; (maybe it is a
character); “It suits your face”; (perhaps it should be wearing a suit);”It’s….er… typically
Arabic”; (sure, just like a camel’s hump); “At least it’s not bigger than a breadbox!” (but it
couldn’t fit inside a breadbox either). Nothing seems reassuring, as I force it closer to my face.
“ You surely would look gorgeous that way,” says the director who has been watching
me all this time. I burst into laughter.
“You really think so? I‘m not so sure. I think I like my nose the way it is,” I respond,
trying to conceal my ambivalence.
“C’mon, Intisar, I don’t think you like it that much. Look at your profile. It would make
a lotta difference if your nose were a little shorter and lacked that Arabic bump. You know, TV
is a helluva sensitive medium. People out there focus on your face continuously. And the nose

Sample 3
seems to be a focal point. You know what I mean? You could have them focus on your eyes
instead by getting an ordinary nose. I got an idea: why don’t you consider having a nose job for
this opportunity?”
“I really don’t know. I am not sure,” I reply candidly as I turn to start the interview.
Two days later, the director called concerning the test.
“…You did wonderfully, Intisar. Presences, personality, voice, and diction - all in all just
fine. But like I said last time, your nose at some points, gets all the attention. You been thinking
about my suggestion? I’m telling you, it would be a guaranteed opportunity.” I manage to give a
diplomatic but noncommittal response to his query; and we end up discussing everything but my
nose.
I have to admit to myself that I have been thinking about what the director said, but not
without lots of ambivalence. My nose has been functioning well for the thirty-three years, except
for the usual colds and sinuses. It has never affected my confidence, nor has it interfered with my
activities. The truth is, however, that I do not like it. I have been always sarcastic about it,
wishing I could change it. Yet the idea of nose surgery - cutting bones and removing cartilage,
and I don’t know what else, frightens me. I wish there were some kind of physical exercise that
could fix it up pressing, pushing, rubbing, molding, anything but surgery.
The job as a hostess on a cultural program for Arab-American TV is still available to me
in January, just six months from now. I must make a decision; cosmetic surgery, a new
opportunity, perhaps a new career or my life (including my nose) as it is.
A week passed after the telephone call, and I was still reflecting on the psychological
aspect of cosmetic surgery and consulting with my closest friends. Although I have not been
completely satisfied with the look of my nose, I have accepted it as part of my personal as well

Sample 4
as my ethnic identity. Would my decision now, in favor of cosmetic surgery, offend my sense of
identity and stigmatize me as an inferior person who’s complying with other people’s aesthetic
criteria! One friend, who thinks my nose is “distinct,” does not favor unnecessary cosmetic
surgery. He argues Asian girls who have operations on their eyes to make them look bigger and
“rounder” are only deceiving themselves. And black women who straighten their air are
admitting a sense of inferiority.
I think, if that is the case, then we should question the validity of our use of makeup, our
interest in fashions or hairstyles, and anything we do that may change our very natural
appearance. But in so doing, would we be denying every culture part of its aesthetic aspect, its
standards of beauty? And would we also be denying human beings the right to share their
aesthetic standards? Certainly, undergoing cosmetic surgery shouldn’t require or be accompanied
by any special apologies; it should be accepted as a means to improve and individual’s
appearance when she/he has the choice. Nevertheless, when it comes to cosmetic surgery, there
is a great deal of risk, and one should take into consideration the possibilities of an unsuccessful
surgery, the potential hazards associated with the surgical procedure. Accordingly, I started my
search for reliable and factual information, even though I was still ambivalent about surgery.
II. The Search
Dr. Michael J. Watanabe, a plastic surgeon at Saddleback Medical Center, recommended
that I start my inquiry by reading his group’s medical publications, which answer the most
frequently asked questions about nasal surgery. He also recommended that I plan on a
consolation visit whereby an appraisal for my case would be specific and personal.

Sample 5
According to Cosmetic Surgery, one of the medical booklets, aesthetic rhinoplasty is
performed to reduce the overall size of the nose: to reshape a tip, or remove a nasal hump or to
improve a poor angle between the nose and the upper lip. One or all of these changes can be
made during a single operation. This booklet had an encouraging and realistic tone. While not
denying the overall risk of undergoing any surgery, it assures the reader that the surgical
procedures have been repeated successfully thousands of times and are dependable when
executed by experienced, competent cosmetic surgeons. It attributes the yearly increase in the
number of individuals who undergo cosmetic surgery to the social and economic influences,
which place emphasis upon appearance. This includes “younger people seeking peer acceptance
and older people facing their own challenge maintaining positive attitudes for an extended time”
(Cosmetic, 8). In my case, I am thirty-three years old and would be risking a perfectly wellfunctioning
nose for the sake of a new career opportunity! Would it be worth it? Well, I didn’t
know. I hadn’t learned enough about the surgical procedures yet. I might be more decisive if I
did.
Surgery of the Nose, another medical booklet, exemplifies and illustrates the procedures
of the different kinds of rhinoplasty. I examined the illustrations casually, with a mirror in my
hand, comparing them to my nose, trying to appraise my own case. But as I started reading, I
became more apprehensive:
On the surgeon’s recommendation, the patient may be operated on in the
surgeon’s office, in an outpatient facility, or may be admitted to a hospital. The
surgery may be performed under a local or general anesthetic… In most nasal
surgery an incision is made inside the nostrils, through which the surgeon can cut,
trim, and manipulate the cartilage and bone to reshape the nose and alter its

Sample 6
external appearance. A hump is removed by using a sawing instrument or a chisel
and then bringing the nasal bones together to form a narrower bridge. (Surgery, 6)
This is frightening! I tell myself, staring down at the words - cut… trim . . . sawing . . .
instrument . . .chisel . . . bridge. . . .This sounds more like carpentry, with my nose being the
project. I touch my entire nose- protectively. The “hump” that I found so offensive in the monitor
three weeks ago is hardly there now. It’s not big at all. I grab the mirror and peer into its
magnifying side. Even that side agrees with me. Well, I ponder myself, why a hump removal? I
don’t need that. Maybe what I need is just reducing the size of the nasal tip and improving the
angle between the nose and my upper lip! I continue reading.
Removing cartilage reduces the size of the nasal tip and provides better contour. .
. .To improve the angle between the nose and the upper lip, trimming the septum
through the incisions in the nostrils elevates the nasal tip . . . . Following surgery,
a splint composed of tape and a plastic or plaster overlay is applied to the nose to
maintain bone and cartilage in the new shape. Nasal packs are inserted to protect
the septum. (Surgery, 6)
This sounded less frightening to me. But I became anxious to find out about the
postoperative recovery. The medical publications were too general. I felt I needed a firsthand
narrative from someone who had actual experience. So I called Marcia Smith, one of Dr.
Watanabe’s patients, who agreed to share her experience.
Although she is not completely recovered yet, Marcia believes she has had a satisfactory
result. Her surgery consisted of correction of a deviated septum, hump removal, reduction of tip,
and angle improvement. All this was done in the surgeon’s office, and under a local anesthetic.

Sample 7
Marcia, thirty-eight years old now, regrets the fact she did not benefit from cosmetic surgery
fifteen years ago.
“ I always thought about it,” she told me, “ but never knew it was so easy. I went into the
office at 7:00 AM and at 12:30 PM I was home. I had the packing on my nose for one day. I
stayed at home one week. The second week I went back to work.”
“ You sound like you just had fun. Marcia! What about the cast and the pain?” I inquired
with astonishment.
“Oh, the cast was on for two weeks. But it is not as uncomfortable as you might think,
and the medication takes care of all the pain. However, it is very important to adhere to the
postoperative instructions. I was restricted from activities that raise the blood pressure like
jogging, swimming, or ever bending, for about four weeks.”
“Didn’t the swelling bother you? They say it persists for months?” I asked.
“ Yes, this is the hard part of it. As a matter of fact, it has been three months now and my
nose still feels numb and is a little swollen, but it is not noticeable after the first two weeks;
besides, I had no bruising around the eyes,” she answered me assuringly (Smith).
III. What I Discovered
Despite the fact that Marcia’s story was - and still is - heartening, the particulars of her
case are different from mine. She apparently never accepted her nose and was, in that sense,
convinced that she should undergo surgery. As for me, even as ambivalent as I am, I don’t think
I rejected my nose. Whether it is viewed as socially acceptable or not, it remains my nose. It does
what it’s supposed to do. And the more I’ve thought about cosmetic surgery, the more I equate it
with a violation of the unique characteristics of my nose. Noses such as mine may someday

Sample 8
become fashionable - even ideal. I think I’ll just accept my own standards, which means
accepting all of me.
That week, the director called to know what my final decision was. With a new found
confidence resulting from my search, I said, “ No nose job- opportunity or not.” He groaned but
was unsurprised: “ I knew you wouldn’t go for that. But I thought I’d give it a shot. Anyway,
come over next week and bring your nose with you for rehearsal.”

Sample 9
Works Cited
Cosmetic Surgery. New Jersey: Plastic Surgery Publications, Inc., 1977.
Smith, Marcia. Telephone Interview. 12 June 1985.
Surgery of the Nose. Chicago: American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, Inc.,
1984