“The Big Friendly Giant,” by Kathleen Roughgarden tells a coming-of-age story from the perspective of a very tall girl. She tells how others saw her, and how she saw herself, as she grew older and taller. She starts off by describing all the “cool” things she could do and did while she was younger, all the upsides of the height difference. However, as she grows up, she realizes being tall isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and that it “wasn’t a remarkable aspect of her personality anymore.” At one point in her story she goes as far as to wish she was short instead.
What I found so enthralling about this essay was how much I could or rather, couldn’t relate to it. I grew up shorter than most of my peers, and still am, for the most part. I’ve always wished to be taller, had a hunger for height. I’ve always thought that a little or a lot more height could put me above my problems, but through this essay, I’ve found this to not be the case. This essay has let me see through the eyes of someone who had the height I’d always craved, and more importantly, shown me that my want has been unjustified all this time.