Misty Copeland is a woman who defied all the odds and ended up becoming the first African-American principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. In her autobiography Life in Motion, Copeland depicts her life as a young woman before her days of ballet until recently. This book particularly stands out as a commendable autobiography because Misty writes this book as a story a form of empowerment to “the little brown girls” who do not think that they are able to fight despite all of the odds. Other reasons why this book stands out in the autobiographical realm is the metaphor “life in motion” as well as Copeland’s characterization of characters such as Cindy. One of the things that stood out this book is her consistent repetition of the sentence
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The reader is given vivid description of Cindy as a someone who cared deeply about Misty. “Cindy would also make me—a girl with knees that curved backward even when I stood straight, my size 7 feet that were still too large for my stick-figure frame—feel like the most beautiful and loved little ballerina in the world, I’d never met anyone like her” (31). This characterization of Cindy enables the reader to understand that Cindy was both a mentor and a mother figure. Her honesty in depicting Cindy, but also the other characters, leads the reader to trust Misty because she attempts to tell the story of her life based on her view as everything and everyone. This is important later on in the story because she takes authority in telling her truth rather than the truth that is her mother’s or Cindy’s. “Life in Motion” is certainly comparable to the Williams sisters—Venus and Serena—as well as Tiger Woods. But what stands out about Misty’s story is the ability for her to recognize that her story is bigger than her. Rather, her story stands out as an empowering autobiography that proves one past does not define one’s future. Misty Copeland’s story is valuable because the reader gets the good, the bad, and the ugly of Misty. There is nothing but her truth and her story and that is truly what makes a great
The reader is given vivid description of Cindy as a someone who cared deeply about Misty. “Cindy would also make me—a girl with knees that curved backward even when I stood straight, my size 7 feet that were still too large for my stick-figure frame—feel like the most beautiful and loved little ballerina in the world, I’d never met anyone like her” (31). This characterization of Cindy enables the reader to understand that Cindy was both a mentor and a mother figure. Her honesty in depicting Cindy, but also the other characters, leads the reader to trust Misty because she attempts to tell the story of her life based on her view as everything and everyone. This is important later on in the story because she takes authority in telling her truth rather than the truth that is her mother’s or Cindy’s. “Life in Motion” is certainly comparable to the Williams sisters—Venus and Serena—as well as Tiger Woods. But what stands out about Misty’s story is the ability for her to recognize that her story is bigger than her. Rather, her story stands out as an empowering autobiography that proves one past does not define one’s future. Misty Copeland’s story is valuable because the reader gets the good, the bad, and the ugly of Misty. There is nothing but her truth and her story and that is truly what makes a great