At War With My Skin

In the short story At War With My Skin, the protagonist speaks up about his "situation" with psoriasis. Right in the beginning, he informs the reader that "disease is a strong word." Instead he refers to it as a condition that is not contagious. In this story, John Updike uses lots of imagery. For happier memories, he talks about "fuzzy sun-warmed towels." This makes me want summer to come when the sun is out and I don't need to have my jacket wherever I go. He also describes his skin as "silvery scales" and "red spots." I like how he related this condition to a war and that it invaded his skin in the winter. It shows that he is optimistic because he knows when summer comes, he is healed for the time being. My favorite part of the story is that the protagonist is honest about his actions. He isn't hesitant to about why he was a writer. Because of his skin, he didn't want a job that required him to present himself. He also addressed why he married so young. This was because he found someone who looked past his skin, so he didn't want to risk it and find another girl.