Terrence is the main character in the short story "King of the Vast Empire". He is trying to help out his parents by going to have Thanksgiving dinner with his sister, Liddie. Terrence recently experienced a breakup and is having difficulty dealing with it, and the last thing he wanted to do is travel by train for dinner. However, out of his love for his sister and his need to keep the family together, he does it. Terrence and Liddie’s parents want Terrence to convince Liddie to not become a doctor that deals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) within elephants. However, the breakup and the elephants are the least of their worries. Terrence and Liddie were in a car accident when they were children, which ultimately affected them the rest of their lives. They have a special bond because of this. Within the text, both characters are important as Terrence's actions typically revolve around the needs and desires of Liddie whom he heavily relies on without truly knowing it. Terrence’s identity is being stolen from him by a man named Carlos. Ironically, the same name as the older brother of the two children that died in the other car of the same accident Terrence and Liddie were in. Or is it ironic? The curiosity strikes Terrence and Liddie, so much that they went on a road trip to figure it out. The entire chapter is a struggle to overcome the horrible accident that occurred when Terrence and Liddie were children that resulted in their entire family being turned into "outsiders" by the community. When the opportunity comes to see if Carlos is “the Carlos”, they don’t take it. The entire story, Terrence is caught up in the past - which is represented not only by his former love, Gabi, but also with her preoccupation with the accident. However, in the moment that he decided not to seek out Carlos, he became stronger and he chose to overlook the past and appreciating that his mom, dad, and sister were alive. Terrence and Liddie decided to go spend Thanksgiving dinner with their parents. Throughout the story, Terrence wasn’t the only one to become stronger. Liddie grew up to be the person she desired to be. She had a personal experience with PTSD, therefore she had a desire to help the elephants. Her parents saw it as a sign of weakness, but she was happy and content with her decisions. 

King of a Vast Empire is a coming of age story that focuses on the ways in which our decisions are influenced by our past. The car accident greatly affected both Terrence and Liddie, although not necessarily negatively as they both grew up to become stronger people due to the unfortunate event. The way in which the family was shunned by their community and ultimately ceased to function as a unit in reaction to the accident forced the characters to overcome tragedy in solus, ultimately forcing them to find strength within themselves. Ultimately, Terrence was able to come to terms with the accident and live without being curious about the other family, and wanted to be grateful for his own family. 

Liddie's course was also greatly influenced by the accident, developing her rebellious side. She fought against traditional female roles, choosing instead a profession that she loved, although it was not the one that society thought she should have. Additionally, at one point in the story, Liddie made notice of her scar and touched it in front of her parents and brother in order to manipulate them, reminding what happened in order to sway their decision. Ultimately, this is an example of Liddie using her body as a weapon through which she can exert control. Liddie was comfortable in her body. A plastic surgeon asked if she wanted surgery to cover up her scar and she replied “Great when we’re done with that why don’t you give me a boob job? Is there anything else you see wrong with me?” (119) She liked the way she looked and thought the scar gave her character. 
  
Although Terrence felt like the outsider, Liddie was viewed as the outsider. Whereas Terrence didn’t have a sense of belonging, Liddie was happy with her unusual career path and life. Together they balanced each other out. Terrence didn’t see himself as an insider because of his recent breakup with Gabi and his exile from the community at a young age, but he was a normal person with a normal job. Society viewed him as normal, making him an insider. This shows the malleability of "insider" and "outsider" as definitions and the way in which their use is problematic.

In the story, a doctor asked Liddie if she wanted to have plastic surgery for her scar, but she was happy with her appearance and felt as if the doctor was criticizing the way she looked. Too many females are not in control of their bodies and are controlled by society’s views. An advertisement like this has a large influence on woman, especially younger girls. It encourages women to look like a barbie doll. Liddie had a strong demeanor and didn’t let someone tell her she wasn’t beautiful just the way she was. Not all women are secure with themselves, which can make an advertisement like this severely affect the way one feels about themselves. Liddie chose to be an outsider and didn’t conform to the way society believed one should look. 

This before and after picture is an advertisement for MD Strength Scar Cream. The after picture lessens the severity of the scar significantly. Liddie gained confidence in her scar, and liked to flash it to her family members in order to get things she wanted. She exerted control of her body by being confident and not feeling insecure because of a "deformity" on her body. This advertisement gives false hopes to people because the scar cream doesn’t always work. If a young girl that wanted to conform to the way society wanted girls to look she would have been devastated with the cream not working. Liddie was an outsider and didn’t let the media influence her. She used her scar to strengthen her rather than weaken her. 


How do you feel about these advertisements? Does society's image of a "beautiful woman" affect the choices one decides to make to their body, such as getting cosmetic surgery?