Long Distance by Victor LaValle

http://completewellbeing.com/static/img/articles/2011/07/break-the-blocks-1.jpg

This picture shows that what is on the outside is not always what one feels on the inside. The man in the story lost weight and changed his whole appearance, but he still feels the same insecure way he did previously. 

Long Distance by Victor LaValle is about a man recounting the events of his relationships and the lessons he had acquired. He was self-concious about his body, and he would never go out with any lady since he was too embarrassed. Instead he would have relationships over the phone. After losing weight, he started dating different women but never lost the negative view of himself and his body even though all of the fat was gone. The author, Victor LaValle, has 3 novels, an eBook, and a collection of short stories. He has received numerous awards such as the Guggenheim Fellowship, American Book Award and awards from the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Nation, and Publisher's Weekly. Because some parts of the essay are explicit, the audience targeted are adults, or readers with a mature mind. The context that brought about this essay is the main character reflecting on his past relationships and views on himself. When he was overweight he enjoyed the relationships he had over the phone, content with the fact that they may never meet.  On the other hand, when he was in shape, the physical relationships he had never measured up. Without the reminiscing of his past relationships, the reader would have never known his feelings about them. The author's purpose is to convey that inner feelings and self body image takes a while to change, especially when it is changing from a negative view to a positive one. Even after the main character lost weight and went to have physical relationships with women, he still looked down on himself in the same way. He feels that his old self is still under the new skin and will never be fully replaced. I think the author achieves his purpose well throughout the story. Thoughts from the main character convey that he still feels and acts physically like his old self. After many relationships, in and out of the bedroom, in the end he still feels the same way. Not only does it take a lot of physical work, but it also takes a lot of work mentally to fully change your body image and insecurities.