Skip to main content
Penn State Altoona
Hotline Give Visit Apply
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Research and Engagement
    • Eiche Library
    • Learning Resources Center
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • New Student Orientation
  • Admissions & Financial Aid
    • Visit Us
    • Admissions Overview
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Tuition and Financial Aid Resources
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
  • Student Success
    • Student Affairs
    • Student and Civic Engagement
    • Health and Wellness
    • Diversity at Penn State Altoona
    • Student Diversity and Inclusion Programming
    • Housing
    • Athletics
    • Career Services
    • Safety and Security
  • Information For
    • Prospective Students
    • Transfer Students
    • Current Students
    • International Students
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Alumni
    • Parents & Families
Full site navigation menu

This dialog contains the full navigation menu for this site.

Penn State Altoona
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Hotline Give Visit Apply
  • This is Penn State Altoona
    • Penn State Altoona At a Glance
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • Our History
    • Campus Map
    • College Leadership
    • Current Weather Conditions
    • Livestream
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Out-of-class Learning
    • Eiche Library
    • Learning Resources Center
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Campus Closures
  • Admissions
    • Visit Us
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Experience Altoona
    • Virtual Tour
  • Tuition and Financial Aid
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Grants
    • Loans
    • Work-study
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
    • Financial Aid Information
  • Student Success
    • Center for Student and Civic Engagement
    • Health and Wellness Center
    • Student Diversity and Inclusion Programming
    • International Student Services
    • Housing
    • Parking
    • Diversity at Penn State Altoona
    • Police and Safety
    • Career Services
  • Research and Engagement
    • Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry
    • Faculty Research Resources
    • Community-Based Studies
    • Internships
    • Study Abroad/Study Away
    • Internal Grants and Awards
  • Athletics
    • Schedule
    • Facilities
    • Recreation and Club Sports
    • Staff and Coaches Directory
    • Athletic Training and Sports Physicals
    • Athletics News
    • Camps and Clinics
    • Hall of Fame

Find Information For:

  • Prospective Students
  • Transfer Students
  • Current Students
  • International Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni
  • Parents & Families

Helpful Links

  • Campus Map
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Calendar
  • Faculty & Staff Directory
  • Offices and Divisions
  • Employment Opportunities

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • flickr
  • linkedin
  1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Academic Divisions
  4. Division of Arts and Humanities
  5. Common Read
  6. Reflections on "Ghostographs"

Reflecting on "Tess"

By Jericka Lavin


After finishing Ghostographs, I took the time to decide which of the novella’s “flash fiction” stood out to me the most. Ultimately, I decided that the story that spoke the loudest was “Tess” (19). From the second I started reading to the second it ended, I was drawn in. It wasn’t a happy or nostalgic story like most of Romasco Moore’s other, but rather sad.

This story began with a little girl, Tess, shining bright like a star in the night sky. As the story unfolds, the other folks in the town tried to extinguish her light because of “how smug she got in a darkened room” (19). Why were they so upset that Tess was such a happy and bright girl? Was it jealously or pure hatred? The story ends with Tess’s light going out and the town finally at peace; however, there is more to the story than just a simple light going out.

I see Tess as a gleeful young girl who tried not to let anything stop her or get in her way. As she gets brighter, the townsfolk try to bring her down, almost as if bringing her down lifts them up. Romasco Moore says “they tried immersing her in the river at midnight, rubbing her skin with coal from am mine disaster, locking her in a lightless room for hours” all in efforts to extinguish her powerful light (19). This paragraph reads like a metaphor for bullying and jealousy. Tess was bullied so badly that one day she decided enough was enough, shutting off her light. After reading this section repeatedly, I fear Tess, after turning off her light, would never turn it back on.

This story made me very emotional, and it resonated with a deep meaning that was unmatched compared to the novella’s other sections. This story was sad yet also beautiful. There is only so much one person can take before their light goes out forever.

Common Read

  • Questions for the Common Read Author
  • Writing Contest
  • Reflections on "Almost American Girl"
    • Emma R. Moniz
    • Anthony Palacios
    • Maeve Watson
  • Reflections on "Ghostographs"
    • The Most Dangerous Game
    • Reflecting on "Tess"
    • Look Into the Light
  • Reflections on "Exit West"
    • "Exit West," Give it a Chance
    • "Exit West:" An Anecdote of Undeniable Relevance
    • Questions for Mohsin Hamid
    • Borders, Doors, Responsibilities: A Common Read Event Not to Miss!
    • Lovers' Journey in Reverse: A Found Poem
  • Previous Common Read Selections

Common Read Events

×
Pennsylvania map showing Penn State's campuses with Penn State Altoona highlighted

Penn State Altoona

A full-service, four-year, residential campus located less than 45 miles from the research campus at University Park. Offering 21 four-year degrees and the first two years of over 275 Penn State majors.
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • flickr
  • linkedin
Give Visit Apply
  • This is Penn State Altoona
    • Penn State Altoona At a Glance
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • Our History
    • Campus Map
    • College Leadership
    • Current Weather Conditions
    • Livestream
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Out-of-Class Learning
    • Eiche Library
    • Learning Resources Center
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Campus Closures
  • Admissions
    • Visit Us
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Experience Altoona
    • Virtual Tour
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Grants
    • Loans
    • Work-study
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
    • Financial Aid Information
  • Student Success
    • Center for Student and Civic Engagement
    • Health and Wellness Center
    • Student Diversity and Inclusion Programming
    • International Student Services
    • Housing
    • Parking
    • Police and Safety
    • Career Services
    • Diversity at Penn State Altoona
  • Research & Engagement
    • Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry
    • Faculty Research Resources
    • Community-Based Studies
    • Internships
    • Study Abroad/Study Away
    • Internal Grants and Awards
  • Athletics
    • Schedule
    • Facilities
    • Recreation and Club Sports
    • Staff and Coaches Directory
    • Athletic Training and Sports Physicals
    • Athletics News
    • Camps and Clinics
    • Hall of Fame
  • Stay Connected
    • Faculty and Staff Directory
    • Offices and Divisions
    • Campus Calendar
    • PSUAlert Text Messaging Service
    • COVID-19 Information
    • Penn State Altoona Connect
    • Penn State Student Engagement Network
Penn State University
3000 Ivyside Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania 16601 814-949-5000

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Directory
  • The Pennsylvania State University © 2023
  • We Are Penn State