From the very beginning of “Mantis,” a sort of transformation of the protagonist is presented. It simply isn’t the type of transformative experience expected from the fantastic in fiction. The protagonist’s mother and her attempts to cover up the protagonist’s “problem skin” are the first bit of their relationship to be seen at all. There is a focus on skin as something almost beyond simple flesh, as if it were a defect in the eyes of the mother and neighbor, Mrs. Weir. An entire paragraph focuses on the way that her mother puts makeup on her to change her appearance and cover the “problem skin.” It seems that the attempt to mask the protagonist’s skin only hurts her more in a sense that her mother seems oblivious to when mentioning a “confetti” of her own skin falling afterwards. It is a strange way to think of transformation, as something more mundane in the beginning then working its way into the inconceivable as the reader travels.
In some ways the protagonist’s change seems to be an inevitable metamorphosis from child to adult. All of the girls have an issue with themselves, whether it is their size, their pores, their feet, or their hair — all a part of puberty and the change from girl to woman. Her peeling skin and shedding hair are a point of something akin to a sick pride. That is her “winning card” and not the thing to be covered like her mother has previously tried. The way that her pseudo-puberty lines up so closely with the puberty of other girls pushes the idea that this is a natural change for her. Then, at the party, it all comes together for both the reader and the protagonist herself. It is natural, and it is a relief for her. There is an implication that comes with the idea of transformation that it will be an unnatural experience, but here it is entirely in her blood. She even remarks on a shell “like my Mother’s.” It is a hereditary transformation and part of that is equally strange and beautiful.
It was interesting to see your interpretation of this story. I never thought to think of the end of her transformation as a relief because she believes it is natural to her. I also did not interpret that she was hurt by her mother trying to cover up her “problem skin” with make up, so that was interesting to read. In the beginning, her mother justifies her “condition” to Mrs. Weir by claiming it was “hereditary,” and “difficult puberties.”
I could see how her mother could be seen as the selfish bad guy, but at the same time. Not once did I feel like she was ashamed of her daughter. I felt that she was preparing her and letting her know that this sort of “change” was incredibly normal and it was all just a phase that everyone has to go through.