Title: Lips So Tender

Author: Richard Wright

Date of First Publication: 2000

Place of Publication: Hideous Progeny

Type: Short Story

Characters: No Character

Themes: ANDROID; RACE/POLITICS; SYMPATHETIC MONSTER

Critical Summary: The protagonist of this story is Sheena, a teenage girl. Sheena was in a terrible car accident on the day of her ninth birthday. She needed surgery after the accident and because her parents were poor, she received poor quality grafts. Her body is a source of shame for her and she believes that she will never have a boyfriend. Sheena’s fondest memory is of meeting Princess Diana; she was grateful that such a beautiful person would dare to touch someone as ugly as her. An article about graft surgery was written about her and a picture of Sheena and Princess Diana was put into newspapers. Princess Diana dies but her brain is saved. New technology has allowed the resurrection of people if their brains are undamaged. Donations of body parts are then requested to rebuild Princess Diana. When Sheena learns about this, she decides to donate her lips; unlike the rest of her body, her lips are perfect. However, her interview does not go well. She feels that the interviewers did not give her a fair chance because of her total physical appearance. The interview does not stop her. Sheena decides to cut off her lips and send them in an envelope. She thinks that if they just see her perfect lips, and not the rest of her, they will take them. She stands in her bathroom and cuts into her skin with a letter opener. Eventually, after much blood is shed, she cuts off her upper and lower lips. When she is finished, she is glad about her actions because she is able to return the kindness that Princess Diana gave to her.

I chose the theme of Android because the technology in the story is able to create humans from scratch.

Administrative Notes: Juan Padilla, CSUF; Jonathan Donabo (editing)