Blog Post #4 – Research Round 2

Moving onto some story specific facts! There are a lot, so this blog may be a little scattered.

Heterochromia is when a person or animal has more than one eye color. (1) Heterochromia is relatively rare and is caused by a mutation in the gene that affects melanin, the pigment that gives eyes their color. (1) Heterochromia is usually harmless when present from birth or early development, but can sometimes be a symptom of underlying conditions or diseases. (1) Faye’s heterochromia is the benign type.

There are three different types of heterochromia; complete heterochromia, central heterochromia, and partial heterochromia. (2) Complete heterochromia is the name of the condition a person has when both eyes are completely different colors, which is also the type Faye has. (2) Central heterochromia is when the ring around the iris is a different colour from the outer eye. Partial heterochromia is when parts or “sectors” of the eye are a different color from the rest of the eye. (2)

A close approximation to Faye’s appearance

As stated in the previous post, the main point of the story is bullying. As one of the forms of bullying is name calling, Faye is indeed given a derogatory nickname, “Derpy”. (3) This is because in “My Little Pony”, the character Derpy Hooves/Ditzy Doo has an eye condition in which her eyes see in two different directions. (3) Though Derpy’s eye condition is not heterochromia, the mismatchedness was enough of an association to give Faye that nickname.

The character Derpy Hooves/Ditzy Doo and her mismatched eyes

Part of how Faye gets away with stuff is having a cute appearance. “Cute” can be described as a type of attractiveness. (4) Common markers of cuteness are round face, short height, large eyes, small nose and lips, which overall makes the person/thing look non-intimidating and harmless. (4) Faye’s appearance, attached below, matches most of this criteria. Though not the only thing, her appearance helps her play into the damsel-in-distress troupe. (5) Faye also has the ability to cry on command, mostly through tapping into sad events from her past. (6) Faye is aware that she is not physically strong, so she developed her academic and social skills to compensate. (7) Through a masterful combination of repeated diligence, and acting, Faye successfully earns herself a redo of her project.

1. Interesting facts about heterochromia. (n.d.). All About Vision. Retrieved May 11, 2024, from https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/heterochromia.htm
2. Heterochromia: What to know about eyes that are different colors. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved May 11, 2024, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/25112-heterochromia
3. My little pony: Why you’ll never hear the name derpy again. (n.d.). Comicbook.Com. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://comicbook.com/news/my-little-pony-why-youll-never-hear-the-name-derpy-again/
4. What makes cute things cute? (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://www.brainson.org/episode/2016/12/06/what-makes-cute-things-cute
5. firassameer. (2022, May 18). 13 tricks for crying on the cue—Complete guide. To Be An Actor. https://2beanactor.com/13-tricks-for-crying-on-the-cue-complete-guide/
6. Garcia, B. (2024, March 19). Beyond the tower. The damsel’s evolution in film. Medium. https://medium.com/@fenixartstudio/beyond-the-tower-the-damsels-evolution-in-film-c313bb49dfd2
7. The power of creating connections | psychology today. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alone-together/202403/the-power-of-creating-connections