- A photograph — and, by extension, any portrait — should show a person as they really are, not an "improved" version that no one recognises.
- Our faces, with all their faults, are part of our identity; we have a right to accept and love them.
- "Experts" can become so absorbed in their own idea of perfection that they forget the human being in front of them.
- Leacock makes these points through exaggeration, irony and self-mockery, so that we laugh first and think afterwards.
Foundation first
A theme is the big idea behind a story, the message left when the events are forgotten. A moral is the lesson in one sentence. In extract questions the board often asks, "What does the story teach?" or "Is the narrator's anger justified?" You answer with a theme and a reason from the story.
How to find a theme. Ask three questions: What does the main character want? What stops him? What does he learn or prove at the end? Here: the narrator wants an honest picture; the photographer's pursuit of perfection stops him; at the end he proves that his face, as it is, is his own.
Worked examples
Example 1 (short answer, 2 marks). What is the main message of With the Photographer?
Model answer. A person's face is part of his identity and should be shown truthfully, with all its faults. The narrator says, "This face is my face", and refuses to let an "expert" replace it with a falsified picture.
Why this scores: a clear message (1 mark) and a supporting quotation (1 mark).
Example 2 (MCQ, 1 mark). The story criticises most strongly (a) old magazines (b) people who are late (c) experts who forget the person in front of them (d) cheap cameras.
Solution. (c). The old magazines are a joke about waiting rooms, not the main target.
Example 3 (personal response, 4 marks). Do you think the story is relevant today? Give reasons.
Model answer. Yes, it is more relevant now than when it was written. The photographer's "Delphide" and "Sulphide" have become apps that smooth skin, change faces and make people look the way the app thinks they should. Many people now try to match an edited picture and feel that their real faces are "wrong", exactly as the narrator is told. The narrator's reply, "it's my face, the only one I have", is a good answer for any young person who feels pressure from filters. The story reminds us to accept ourselves and to value truthful pictures.
Why this scores: an opinion (1 mark), a clear modern parallel (1 mark), a link to a line in the text (1 mark) and a thoughtful conclusion (1 mark).
Doubts cleared
Q. Is the narrator right to refuse the photographer's changes? Yes. He wants a true likeness and has every right to ask for it. The story treats his claim as fair.
Q. Does the story mean photographs should never be touched up? The story's point is about the photographer's change of the face beyond recognition, against the customer's wish. Always answer from the story: the picture must still look like the person.
Q. Is the photographer a villain? Not exactly. He is proud, rude and blind to others, but he is a comic figure. He sincerely thinks he has done a fine job.
Q. Is it a happy ending? No, and yes. The narrator leaves in tears, but he keeps his self-respect by refusing the false picture.
Mistakes to avoid
- Giving a theme without proof. Always add a line or event from the story.
- Writing a modern essay on photo filters and forgetting the narrator's words. Link your answer to "This face is my face".
- Saying "the story teaches us not to go to photographers". That misses the point entirely.
Check yourself
- State one theme of the story in a sentence.
- Which line best sums up that theme?
- Name one modern equivalent of the "Delphide" and "Sulphide".
Answers: 1. A person has the right to be seen as he or she really is. 2. "This face is my face. It is not yours, it is mine." 3. Photo-editing apps or beauty filters.