[A sixty years old man in a suit and horn-rimmed glasses. He’s soft-spoken and with elegant manners.]
“Two years ago, we put together an investigative report on female castration in Ethiopia. As the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, I had to choose the cover from at least two hundred photos taken during the actual ablation of two young girls.
Most of the photos were so gory that we couldn’t use them without being accused of exploitation. So I decided to focus on the faces of the two girls.
One of them was just average-looking, with a sheepish stare and a mouth drawn in a flat line. But the other was rather beautiful, with black eyes that were full of defiance, meeting the lens with such ferocity that, in one particular instance, yielded an astonishing portrait.
Sure, both girls had gone through the same horrible mutilation, but I knew the photo of the pretty girl would attract more people … and awaken their empathy.
It seems obvious, right?
But then doubt crept into my mind.
Because I also knew that the casual reader wouldn’t see that pretty girl as a victim of this barbaric and humiliating act. He would instead see resistance in her eyes, the possibility of an impending rebellion… and conclude there’s nothing else to be done, to protest or act against.
So who was the perfect choice?
None. I’m aware that my job is not to faithfully represent the world by depicting reality. My job is to fictionalize it, transform it into a more compelling narrative… that may or may not inspire action.
So, yes, I obsessed with this predicament for a split second… but I ended up making the obvious choice, the photo of the pretty girl.
And, well…
As expected, the piece was a hit. Female castration became the hot-button issue of the moment; celebrities joined in the condemnation; steps were taken towards eradicating the practice in Ethiopia. Some foundation even located our cover girl and set her up with psychological counseling to help her deal with the trauma.
And although I’m proud of what we accomplished, I often think about the other girl.
And I question my decision each time I do.”
Are you an actor or director interested in using this monologue? Contact us in ABOUT MONOLOGY!
Copyright Abel Gonzalez 2016