Freestyle Academy proudly presents

Jessica Farwell: A Senior Profile Portrait by Erica Fischer-Colbrie (2011)

My character is Jessica Farwell. When Jessica was younger, her mother left her family. Jessica hasn't seen her since she was ten, and has had no contact with her since her mother disappeared. When she was younger, she used to think that her mother would come home. The older Jessica gets, the more she loses faith in this childish dream. Her memories of her mother are very vague, and because of the way that she was separated from her mother, Jessica thinks that she may have never known her mother. She feels betrayed and confused. Even though it hurts, she's can't move on with her life. Outwardly a very bright, cheery person, Jessica will lose herself for hours in melancholic contemplation of her desertion. In the photo, we see children's books in the background, and a teddy bear in Jessica's arms. This exemplifies her attempt to reconnect with the childhood of which she feels that her mother robbed her. It also represents her unwillingness to let go of things in the past. What she holds in her hands is a portrait of her mother: we can't see her mother, the same way that Jessica has no contact with her. The photo is framed in gold, to represent the allure of something unattainable. For Jessica, this is a relationship with her mother. The purple of her shirt represents the remembrance. The black background represents her heavy, dark mood, and further symbolizes her sense of isolation and loss. Her facial expression is searching, as she seeks answers she'll never obtain. Finally, the writing on her hand represents how this loss is something that marks her and she can't escape: it's part of her, in her skin.
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