Zhu 1
Jolene Zhu
Mr. Dame
English 10H+ A
6 May 2024
“Fraud”
Behind the curtains of grand theater, I stood in the shadow of the flickering lights, my
heart beating erratically. Tonight was the opening night of the first play of my life as a
leading cast. I heard the murmurs of the audience as the curtain were gradually lifted
upwards. The background music has started to play, the other casts were singing their first
line, waiting for me to start singing. A cold shiver of panic stroke me. What was my first line
again?
In a moment of frantic, I started searching desperately for those words that had flowed
so effortlessly in practice. Like a grain of gold in sand, it was stranded in the desert of my
mind. My spotlight was turned on, hundreds of eyes gazed upon me, I felt like a fraud
masquerading as an actor. In an instant, I heard my mother’s voice whispering to me in my
mind, “Fake it until you make it”. With a trembling hand, I grasped onto those words like a
lifeline, drawing strength as I heard the cue for my soliloquy.
I was hit by a tide of strange calmness once I opened my mouth. I don’t know what I
am saying, but I spoke out of confidence without showing any signs of distress and my
internal turmoil. The words began to flow, hesitant at first, like a trickling stream before a
torrential downpour of emotions. With a flicker of exhilaration, it wasn’t me who’s standing
there on the stage, it was Jude, my character in the show. She was there on the stage,
expressing the essence of her bitterness and her ambition through each word and gesture, as if
each improvised note and gesture have drawn the audience to the world that she belongs.
The show went smoothly afterwards. As the final curtain fell, the audience erupted
into thunderous applause. My hands trembled with exhaustion and excitement when I bowed
Zhu 2
in front of the audience. Facing them, I realized that sometimes, the greatest performances are
born from the embrace of confidence– even when you've forgotten your first line.
Thesis/ Core theme: Confidence is the key to success, fake it until you make it.
The volta of the story contributed to the overall theme by demonstrating the pivotal
effect of confidence in one’s success in contrast with the protagonist’s previous struggles.
Before the volta, the protagonist is grappling the anxiety of imposter syndrome on the stage.
The Volta of the story occurs when the protagonist recalls her mother’s advice to “fake it until
you make it” that marks the change in her mindset from doubt to confidence. After embracing
her confidence, she is able to deliver their lines convincingly, “as if each improvised note and
gesture have drawn the audience to the world that she belongs”. The metaphor highlights her
embodiment of the character and the connection between the character and the audience. Her
decision to embrace fake confidence here helped her to push through her initial panic. It
illustrates the transformative power of confidence, showing that sometimes, success is not
about being perfectly prepared, but about having the courage and belief in oneself.
