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Michaela Deprince's Taking Flight

483 Words2 Pages

“Hardship adds to the strength of the people and artists we become. Michaela is nothing short of a miracle, born to be a ballerina” (Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina.) The book Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina by Michaela DePrince, is an epic and fearless autobiography. The literary themes destruction of beauty, growing up, and displacement all are incorporated into this novel.
Self confidence is major in life. Words put people down, especially when said to their face, and ruin their self esteem. Michaela DePrince went through a lot of this in her early years, as a Sierra Leonean orphan. She has a skin condition, vitiligo, that causes a lack of pigmentation on the skin/hair. After her parents died, she was taken into the care of an orphanage. There, she was treated with disrespect and was labeled as the “Devil's child! Leopard girl!” …show more content…

Not only did her spots make her feel out of place, but the way people viewed her, made her feel more conscious. Michaela first experienced Bigotry when she was only at the age of four. “I nudged it open an inch, just in time to hear the other person say, “Because this city isn't ready for a black Marie,” I stood frozen by the door, wondering if the the city or the world would ever be ready for a black Marie, or a black Sugar Plum Fairy” (DePrince,136.) As shown, Michaela was remarkably looked at and felt exceeding displacement.
In final analysis, destruction of beauty, growing up, and displacement are all involved in the novel Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina. Michaela’s achievements overpowered the fact that she started out as a Sierra Leonean orphan and was told that she was not going to succeed. She had big dreams, that came a reality, and family and friends to push her along the way. Moreover, the name Michaela DePrince is now a well known name to any aspiring dancers, thriving to be just like

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