Self-Portrait

Question

Alia was dismayed to find herself in the drawing studio. She had been sick with the flu during the week when everyone else got to pick their classes. She had hoped for Astronomy or Marine Biology, but they were full by the time she got to choose. She loved everything about science, from the way it used facts and formulas to how it revealed the basic nature of things. But art was so . . .un-scientific.
The first class project was self-portraits. Some students were drawing self-portraits using mirrors. Others were working from photographs. Alia glanced at the incomplete sketches, feeling like a cat in a dog show.
The teacher came up to Alia's easel and sat next to her.
"Every portrait begins with a circle," he said. "Then you create a series of lines."
To demonstrate, he drew a group of small, quick portraits. He began each one with a circle, some straight lines, and a triangle to determine where the eyes, nose, and chin should go. Alia had never thought about it, but the features of everyone's face were in the same spots.
Hesitantly, Alia began her own self-portrait. She drew the basic form of a head, the way she had been shown. From there, she used lines to plot the features of her face. The process took patience and precision. She had to take note of each detail. One wrong measurement could throw off the whole portrait.
Alia was surprised by the structure and discipline involved in drawing a portrait. Measuring, studying details, revealing the basic nature of something—it reminded her of what she loved about science.
Which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story?

Answer 1

The main theme of the story revolves around the unexpected connections between art and science. Alia initially feels dismayed about being in an art class, perceiving it as un-scientific. However, as she engages in the process of creating her self-portrait, she discovers that drawing involves structure, precision, and observation—qualities that she values in science. This realization highlights the idea that creative endeavors can share similarities with scientific thinking, emphasizing the importance of exploring and appreciating different fields of knowledge.