Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes Term Paper

Total Length: 580 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

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Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes contains a colorful cast of characters whose lives are intertwined through personal pain. Sarah Byrnes is aptly named: when she was three her face and hands were severely burned and her overbearing father refused to offer her reconstructive surgery. The emotional scars on her character are as glaring as her physical ones; Sarah must hide behind a tough exterior that shields her from the cruelty of an image-driven society. She shares her world with Eric "Moby" Calhoun, whose nickname refers to his excessive girth. The two of them bond over their common problem: the "terminal uglies," as they jokingly refer to themselves. Author Chris Crutcher holds nothing back as he describes their friendship and their dealings with their peers and families. The writing style is punchy, driven by dark humor and touching descriptions of the main characters. Geared toward young adults, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is a mature novel that inspires readers and deftly conveys the struggles of adolescence.


Told in first person from the perspective of Moby, the novel traces the friendship between him and the titular character as they develop steely strength and resolve. Sarah is a piquant girl who doesn't take any crap, even from her best friend. Early in the novel, her and Eric encounter a school bully who wants to take their money; Sarah throws more than a few punches with her scarred fists and tells big Dale Thornton, "When I'm dead you'll get my money," (19). She proceeds to chastise Moby for acting like a wimp and thus the two teens struggle to maintain their personal dignity in spite of their below-average, too-easily ridiculed appearances.

Because Sarah and Eric are united by their "terminal uglies," any threat to….....

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Latest APA Format (6th edition)

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"Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes" (2003, November 05) Retrieved July 6, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/staying-fat-sarah-byrnes-155459

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

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"Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes" 05 November 2003. Web.6 July. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/staying-fat-sarah-byrnes-155459>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes", 05 November 2003, Accessed.6 July. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/staying-fat-sarah-byrnes-155459