My first year living in Los Angeles, I was a birthday-party clown. I struggled a lot with my identity because, I viewed myself as an artist while others viewed me as ridiculous. To make matters more confusing, being a clown is itself an identity-masking job.
One night, I was asked to play as Batman. At the time I had a giant mustache. But I didn’t want to change my physical appearance, because that would have been me admitting I was more of a clown than an artist. So I chose not to shave.
The next day, I went to the party. Once I got close enough for the kids to make out the features of my face, the entire party burst into laughter. I was so embarrassed. But then came loud applause. Feeling kind of warm, I was thinking, “Is this what encouragement feels like? It’s so new.” I was still about 20 yards away from the party when I started running. They all started cheering louder, and at that moment, I was Batman.
“You see, son. I told you Batman has a mustache.” said father of the birthday boy. I saw a huge Birthday cake with a frosting Batman drawn on it, and the Batman had a mustache. I stared at it in disbelief. That’s why everyone was laughing so hard when I first arrived, because when they brought the cake out, all the kids laughed, “Batman doesn’t have a mustache.” Instead of admitting the cake was messed up, the parents tried to save face and said, “No, Batman always has a mustache. He just shaves it for his movies.”
Naturally, the children were doubtful. But they were at the perfect age where they still believed in miracles. My mustache became the detail that confirmed what the parents had said and convinced the kids that I was actually Batman.
That year, I struggled a lot with my identity: was I an artist, or was I a clown? But that day, at least, there was no doubt in my mind what I was.
8. How did the author feel about his work as a clown at the beginning?
A.He was enthusiastic about his job. | B.He had to depend on it to feed himself. |
C.It made him confused about his identity. | D.Being a clown is the first step to an artist. |
9. Why did the author refuse to shave his moustache?
A.Because the real Batman had a moustache. |
B.Because he wanted to give the birthday boy a surprise. |
C.Because the birthday boy’s father asked him not to shave. |
D.Because he regarded himself as an artist rather than a clown. |
10. How did the kids react when seeing Batman with a moustache?
A.They applauded but lost interest soon. |
B.They believed Batman had a moustache at once. |
C.They ignored his moustache and played as normal. |
D.They laughed loudly because of his ridiculous moustache. |
11. What can we learn from the story?
A.Every effort you make will pay off in the end. |
B.Never give up struggling with the unfair world. |
C.We can find our own identity even in an ordinary job. |
D.Every child is an angel that believes in all good things. |