With the Photographer

Stephen Leacock is a modern English prose writer. He has written many prose pieces.
All his prose pieces are known for their subtle humour. They talk about real life
situations. With The Photographer is a short prose that describes the narrator’s
experience with a photographer.

Summary

In ‘With the Photographer’ by Stephen Leacock we have the theme of insecurity, anger,
appearance, confidence, acceptance and control. Narrated in the first person by an
unnamed forty year old man the reader realizes from the beginning of the story that Leacock
may be exploring the theme of insecurity. The narrator, while sitting in the photographer’s
studio, begins to read some magazines. It is through his reading of the magazines and seeing
how other people look, the narrator begins to feel insecure about his appearance.It is also
noticeable that the photographer takes a dislike to the narrator’s appearance (his face) judging it
to be wrong. It suggests that there is a standard being set by the photographer, that the narrator
because of how he physically looks do not meet that standard. Just as there are comparisons
being made by the narrator to the people he sees in the magazines. Likewise the photographer
is making comparisons or judging the narrator solely on his appearance.

It is also noticeable that the narrator begins to do as he is instructed by the photographer. What
should have been a simple process of taking a photograph becomes something of a nightmare
for the narrator. If anything the photographer is attempting to change the narrator and mold his
image into something that pleases his eye rather than accepting what is real. It is also
interesting that at first the narrator agrees with everything that the photographer says and this
would further suggest that Leacock is exploring the theme of insecurity. It is as though the
narrator lacks the confidence to stand up for himself and tell the photographer that he is
unhappy with the route that is being taken by the photographer. However the narrator does
begin to become more confident as he begins to realize how ridiculous the photographer’s
requests are. It is only after losing his confidence and then regaining it that the narrator ends up
standing up for himself.

How confident the narrator becomes is noticeable when he returns to the photographer’s studio
the following Saturday. He realizes that the photograph that has been taken of him looks
nothing like him. This angers the narrator as he was simply looking for a photograph that would
show his likeness and nothing more. He accepts that he may not be to everybody’s liking when
it comes to his physical appearance but is angered by the changes made by the photographer.
The photographer has retouched the photograph so much that the narrator does not recognise
himself. Unfortunately the photographer’s template is not pleasing to the narrator nor should it
be. Without directly saying it to the narrator the photographer by retouching the photograph is
suggesting that the narrator does not meet the requirements that he thinks are required on how
a man should look. If anything the photographer is attempting to push his perception of beauty
onto the narrator. Something that further angers the narrator. It is as though the narrator is in
shock however he does not let go of his anger telling the photographer to keep the photograph.

The end of the story is also interesting as the reader realizes just how upset the narrator is
when he begins to cry. It is as though the narrator knows that he is fighting a losing battle. He
has been judged solely by his appearance by the photographer whose job was to simply take a
life like photograph.